GIFT  OF 


A  TEXTBOOK 


ON 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


INTERNATIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS 

SCRANTON,   PA. 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 

LETTER  FORMATION 


1    ir',-:: 

»,*•'      !•-•••  '»' 


SCRANTON 
INTERNATIONAL  TEXTBOOK  COMPANY 

A-3 


2447 


Copyright,  1503,  by  INTERNATIONAL  TEXTBOOK  COMPANY. 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall.  London. 


Show-Card  Writing:     Copyright,    1903,    by    INTERNATIONAL    TEXTHOOK    COMPANY. 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London. 

Show-Card  Design  and  Ornament:     Copyright,  1903,  by  INTERNATIONAL  TEXTBOOK 
COMPANY.     Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London. 

Letter    Formation:    Copyright,    1903,    by    INTERNATIONAL    TEXTBOOK    COMPANY. 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London. 


All  rights  reserved. 


v/T  &£t 


PRINTKH  nc  Tin.  I'M  i  u.  STATKS 


>ii'i 


PREFACE 


The  present  volume  will  undoubtedly  fill  a  long-felt  want 
for  a  full  and  exhaustive  treatment  of  the  subject  of  Show- 
Card  Writing.  The  text  is  clear  and  comprehensive  and  the 
subject  is  treated  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  not  only  be 
readily  understood  by  beginners  but  can  also  be  consulted 
as  a  work  of  reference  by  experts.  We  are  not  aware  of  any 
previous  attempt  to  prepare  a  work  of  this  kind. 

In  addition  to  the  text  matter  proper,  there  are  included 
in  the  Course  fifteen  Drawing  Plates,  each  of  which  the 
student  is  expected  to  send  to  the  Schools  for  corrections, 
suggestions,  and  criticisms.  To  avoid  the  use  of  a  portfolio 
two  sets  of  plates  have  been  made  — one  to  be  used  for 
printing  the  plates  sent  to  students  as  they  progress  in  their 
studies  and  the  other  for  printing  the  reduced  copies  in  this 
volume.  It  will  be  noticed -that  these  plates  have  been 
inserted  in  their  proper  places  on  guards,  thus  permitting 
them  to  be  opened  flat  without  extending  beyond  the  edges 
of  the  volume. 

To  those  who  specialize  in  original  designing,  the  present 
work  will  be  found  extremely  fertile  in  suggestion;  to  all 
classes  of  card  writers,  it  will  prove  valuable  as  a  convenient 
work  of  ready  reference.  The  index  is  full  and  simply 
arranged,  enabling  any  one  to  find  any  style  or  form  of 
letter  with  the  least  possible  delay  or  difficulty.  The  work 
has  been  printed  throughout  on  carefully  selected,  extra 
heavy,  coated  book  paper;  the  illustrations  accompanying 
the  text  are  profuse,  clear  in  detail,  and  have  been  prepared 
and  executed  at  great  expense;  the  colored  plates  are  highly 
artistic  and  very  finely  finished  products  of  the  printers'  skill. 

iii 


'49426 


iv  PREFACE 

The  method  of  numbering-  the  pages  and  articles  is  such 
that  each  subject  is  complete  in  itself;  hence,  in  order  to 
make  the  index  intelligible  it  was  necessary  to  give  a 
number  to  each  subject  or  part.  This  number  is  placed  at 
the  top  of  each  page,  on  the  headline,  opposite  the  page 
number;  and  to  distinguish  it  from  the  page  number,  it  is 
preceded  by  a  section  mark  (§).  Consequently,  a  reference 
such  as  §  3,  page  11,  will  be  readily  found  by  looking  along 
the  inside  edges  of  the  headlines  until  §  3  is  found,  and  then 
through  §3  until  page  11  is  found. 

INTERNATIONAL  CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS. 


CONTENTS 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING                                              Section  Page 

Purpose  of  the  Course 1  1 

How  to  Become  an  Expert  Card  Writer      .  1  2 

Description  of  the  Course 1  3 

Colors 1  5 

Handling  of  Colors 1  8 

Water  Colors 1  12 

List  of  Oil  Colors 1  13 

Brushes 1  14 

Materials 1  17 

Elements  of  Lettering 1  19 

Component  Parts  of  a  Letter 1  19 

Spacing  of  Letters 1  20 

Shading 1  23 

Letter-Face  Lighting  and  Shading     ...  1  26 

Classification  of  Letters 1  29 

Ornamental  Letters 1  29 

Grotesque  Letters 1  31 

Illuminated  Capitals 1  32 

Treatment  of  Letters 1  36 

Brush  Work 1  40 

Exercise  I       1  40 

Exercise  II 1  41 

Exercise  III 1  42 

Exercise  IV 1  43 

Plate,  Title:  Elementary  Lines      ....  1  46 

Plate,  Title:  Elementary  Curves    ....  1  47 

Speed  in  Lettering 1  48 

Methods  and  Application 1  49 

Dry  Colors 1  49 


vi  CONTENTS 

SHOW-CARD  WRITING—  (Continued)                     Section  Page 

Illumination  of  Show-Cards 1  52 

Letters 1  54 

Modifications  of  Letters 1  57 

Relief  Letters 1  62 

Beveling 1  63 

Mounting 1  65 

Manifolding 1  66 

Store  and  Window  Signs 1  71 

Outside  Signs •  .     .  1  73 

Card  Hangers 1  77 

Punctuation 1  77 

Rules  for  Punctuation 1  78 

SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 

Elements  of  Design 2  2 

Simple  Figures 2  2 

The  Ellipse 2  4 

The  Panel 2  6 

Ribbons 2  10 

Practical  Designing 2  12 

Inscription  Designing 2  12 

Location  of  Inscription 2  16 

Supplementary  Alphabets 2  19 

Indexes 2  23 

The  Eye 2  24 

Applied  Design 3  2 

Forms  Used  in  Card  Writing 3  2 

Composition  of  a  Design 3  9 

Natural  Forms  Used 3  9 

Ornament 3  12 

Various  Styles  and  Application      ....  3  12 

Various  Designs 3  14 

Price  Tickets 3  21 

Inscriptions  for  Show-Cards 3  23 

LETTER  FORMATION 

Freehand  Alphabets 4  1 

Plate,  Title:  Brush-Stroke  Letters  4  1 


CONTENTS  vii 

LETTER  FORMATION—  (Continued)                       Section  Page 

Plate,  Title:  Condensed  Egyptian      ...  4  3 

Capitals 4  4 

Lower  Case  and  Numerals 4  6 

Plate,  Title:  Heavy  Egyptian 4  8 

Plate,  Title:  Eccentric  Egyptian    ....  4  10 

Plate,  Title:  French  Roman 4  12 

Capitals 4  12 

Lower  Case 4  14 

Plate,  Title:    Roman 4  15 

Capitals 4  16 

Lower  Case  and  Numerals 4  17 

Plate,  Title:  Transparent  Color  Work    .     .  4  18 

Plate,  Title:  Eccentric  Roman 4  21 

Plate,  Title:  Ogee-Curve  Stroke    ....  4  22 

Capitals 4  23 

Lower  Case 4  24 

Plate,  Title:  Square  English 4  25 

Capitals 4  25 

Lower  Case    . 4  27 

Plate,  Title:  Half  Script 4  28 

Capitals 4  29 

Lower  Case 4  29 

Plate,  Title:  Script 4  31 

Capitals 4  31 

Lower  Case 4  32 

Plate,  Title:  Opaque  Water-Color  Work     .  4  32 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


INTRODUCTION 

1.  Purpose  of  This  Course. —Attractive  show-card 
writing  ranks  among  the  most  important  advertising 
methods  used  by  the  progressive  and  wide-awake  merchant. 
Time  was  when  the  storekeeper  was  satisfied  to  use  his  store 
windows  for  the  mere  purpose  of  lighting  his  store.  If  an 
attempt  were  made  to  display  goods,  the  multiplicity  of 
window  panes,  the  height  of  the  window  floor,  together  with 
the  congested  window  space  (having  but  a  front  exposure), 
offered  little  or  no  advantages  in  using  it  as  a  medium  for 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  passers-by. 

Conditions,  however,  have  changed  with  the  times,  until 
the  show  window  has  become  the  most  imposing  feature  of 
the  store.  Competition  has  brought  into  play  every  known 
means  for  attracting  attention  to  the  character  of  the  goods 
to  be  found  within.  In  this  connection  it  is  obvious  that  such 
signs  be  used  as  will  call  special  attention  to  the  quality  and 
price  of  goods  displayed;  also,  that  these  be  prepared  on 
inexpensive  material  in  order  that  periodical  announce- 
ments may  be  made  to  the  public  that  will  interest  and  secure 
trade.  To  this  end,  nothing  is  more  suitable  or  productive 
of  better  results  than  advertising  show-cards.  These  may 
be  executed  by  a  novice,  and,  in  a  way,  serve  the  purpose 
for  which  they  are  intended.  But  to  make  the  window 
lettering  and  show-card  writing  an  artistic  as  well  as  a  remu- 
nerative feature  of  the  window  display,  is  the  desire  of  every 
merchant.  He  may  secure  a  stock  of  goods  of  sufficient 
merit  in  quality,  and  offer  them  at  prices  so  low  as  should 

For  notice  of  copyright,  see  page  immediately  following  the  title  page 
§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 


crowd  his  store  With. customers,  and  yet  these  may  become 
$b.6p  .worn  and  out  of  fashion  were  he  to  neglect  to  use  the 
methods  employed  fry*  his  progressive  competitors  in  calling 
attention  to  them  through  attractive  display  cards  and  catchy 
announcements. 

Therefore,  the  show-card  writer  is  indispensable  to  the 
successful  up-to-date  merchant,  and,  as  an  employe,  he  is 
valued  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to  prepare  work  that  will 
arrest  the  eye  of  every  passer-by.  It  is  equally  neces- 
sary for  those  engaged  in  this  profession  to  be  familiar  with 
every  form  of  letter  that  will  most  effectively  serve  their 
purpose,  and  to  make  use  of  every  novelty  in  designing, 
arrangement,  and  artistic  embellishment  known  to  modern 
practice. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  Course,  therefore,  so  to  prepare 
those  having  the  show  window  in  charge,  or  those  desiring 
to  undertake  this  class  of  work,  that  they  may  thoroughly 
master  every  branch  of  the  subject,  by  giving  them  a 
practical  knowledge  of  show-card  and  inscription  design- 
ing in  every  detail,  and  of  every  form  of  alphabet  best 
adapted  for  use  in  show-cards,  window  signs,  interior  ban- 
ners, and  all  other  work  coming  within  the  province  of  the 
card  writer. 

HOW  TO  BECOME  AN  EXPERT  CARD  WRITER 
2.  Chief  Qualifications. —Success  cannot  be  assured 
any  student  enrolling  in  this  Course  unless  he  possesses  the 
qualifications  necessary.  We  are  therefore  compelled  to  call 
attention  to  some  of  the  natural  tendencies  to  discourage- 
ment that  exist,  and  that  serve  to  draw  a  student  from  any 
worthy  purpose.  Much  depends  on  the  student,  if  he  would 
realize  the  fullest  benefit  to  be  derived  from  his  course  of 
instruction.  Too  much  time  cannot  be  devoted  to  practice. 
It  is  only  by  practice  that  the  student  can  hope  to  succeed. 
The  process  by  which  the  hand  becomes  skilled  in  perform- 
ing work,  and  the  eye  trained  to  equalize  space,  measure 
distances,  and  proportion  objects  is  necessarily  slow,  and  to 
those  who  lack  application,  it  is  quite  tedious. 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  3 

3.  Reward  of  Application.  —  Students  are  of  two 
general  classes,  namely:  Those  who  desire  only  a  super- 
ficial knowledge  of  the  subject  before  them,  and  to  whom  any 
reasonable  amount  of  study  or  practice  is  burdensome;  and 
those  who  desire  a  complete  knowledge  of  everything  that 
directly  or  indirectly  pertains  to  the  subject,  and  who  are 
willing,  through  practice  and  perseverance,  to  labor  untir- 
ingly to  this  end.  Those  composing  the  former  class  are 
easily  discouraged,  their  chief  aim  being  to  acquire  speed 
in  their  work,  not  taking  sufficient  time  to  gain  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  every  subject  before  them;  while  those  in  the 
latter  class,  by  thoroughly  mastering  the  work  in  every 
detail,  soon  acquire  speed  as  a  result  of  a  perfect  knowledge 
of  the  formation  of  letters,  designing,  method  of  application, 
etc.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  one  class  should  win  the 
final  reward  and  receive  as  a  result  the  largest  salaries  and 
best  positions,  while  the  other  class  must  be  satisfied  to  take 
second  or  third  places  in  their  profession. 


THE  COURSE 

4.  Arrangement  and  Classification. —The  Course  is 
arranged  progressively,  beginning  with  instruction  in  such 
subjects   as    colors,   brushes,   appliances,    materials,   etc.,   a 
knowledge  of  which  is  necessary  before  beginning  drawing 
or    freehand   lettering.     It    is    important    that   the    student 
should  first  be  perfectly  familiar  with  the  foregoing,  for  it  is 
with  these  he  is  to  execute  his  work.     The  subject  of  design- 
ing, or  the  manner  in  which  the  work  should  be  executed, 
is  introduced  at  that  point  in  the  instruction  when  the  stu- 
dent has  progressed  sufficiently  to  apply  this  knowledge  to 
practical  use. 

5.  Materials    Necessary. —We    recommend    that    all 
practice  work  be  done  on  Manila  pattern  paper,  on  account 
of  its  cheapness.     When  working  in  the  evening,  use  a  good, 
steady  light;  an  incandescent  gaslight  is  best.     Arrange  the 
table  so  that  the  light  is  thrown  on  the  work  from  above  and 


4  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 

to  the  left  of  the  drawing  table.  A  shade  for  the  eyes  should 
be  worn  to  protect  them  from  the  light,  and  every  precaution 
taken  in  caring  for  them  when  working  by  any  kind  of 
artificial  light.  A  well-made,  firm  table  should  be  used,  and 
this  should  be  slightly  inclined  (not  to  exceed  10°).  The 
ordinary  table  known  among  furniture  dealers  as  the  kitchen 
table,  costing  about  $1.50,  is  an  excellent  table  for  a  student's 
use.  The  front  legs  of  this  table  may  be  cut  off  sufficiently 
to  give  the  proper  angle.  The  24"  X  30"  drafting  board  is 
furnished  in  the  special  outfit,  and  will  be  found  indispen- 
sable even  though  the  table  be  used.  The  complete  outfit 
consists  of  the  following: 

1  2-ounce  bottle  show-card  writer's  white. 
1  2-ounce  bottle  show-card  writer's  black. 
1  f -ounce  bottle  waterproof  India  ink. 

1  set  of  lettering  brushes:  5  red  sable  (riggers)  Nos.  3,  5,  7,  9,  and  11; 
2  Nos.  1  and  3  (Columbia)  red  sables;  1  wash  brush  No.  3,  double  end, 
camel's  hair;  3  Nos.  4,  6,  and  8  square  shaders,  camel's  hair;  3  Nos. 
4,  6,  and  8  letterers,  camel's  hair. 

\  dozen  sheets  of  white  drawing  paper,  size  15"  X  20". 

2  sheets  of  black  drawing  paper. 

1  show-card  writer's  T  square,  28"  blade. 

2  ounces  of  each  of  the  following  dry  colors:    blue,  green,  orange, 
lemon,  and  red. 

chamois  skin. 

drafting  board,  24"  X  30". 

dozen  thumbtacks. 

combination  compass. 

protractor. 

sponge  eraser. 

lead  pencil. 

pencil  eraser. 

12  pans  of  water  color  as  follows:  new  green,  light  red,  burnt 
sienna,  vermilion,  crimson  lake,  gamboge,  mauve  purple,  Prussian 
blue,  sepia,  yellow  ocher,  orange  chrome  yellow,  charcoal  gray. 

3  water-color  dishes:  2",  2i",  and  3". 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


COLORS 


CLASSIFICATION     AND    USE 

6.  Classification  of  Colors. —There  are  five  general 
classes  into  which  all  colors  are  divided,  as  follows:    Primary ', 
secondary,  tertiary,  semineutral,  and  neutral.     Beginning  with 
the  primary,  colors  fall  to  a  lower  order,  depending  on  how 
closely  they  are  related  to  this  chief  or  highest  order.     Com- 
binations of  colors  of  this  order  produce  what  are  known  as 
secondary,  and  so  on  until  two  colors  are  equally  divided  in 
strength,  when  they  become  neutral. 

7.  Primary   Colors.— The    primary    colors    are    red, 
yellow,  and  blue.     By  a  combination  of  these  three  colors  the 
modern  color  artist,  such  as  the  art  printer  and  lithographer, 
can  produce  a  piece  of  work  in  strong  and  distinct  colors, 
shades,  and  tints  that  will  show  wonderful  ingenuity.     The 
combinations  of  the  colors  with  white  and  black  are  almost 
unlimited  in  variety.     By  referring  to  the  color  chart,  Fig.  2, 
we  learn  that  to  combine  any  two  of  the  primary  colors  will 
give  us  another  distinct  color  that  belongs   to   a   separate 
class,  called  secondary  colors. 

8.  Secondary  Colors.— The   three   secondary  colors 

are  green,  orange,  and  purple.  Yellow  and  blue  mixed  together 
in  proper  quantities  will  produce  green;  yellow  and  red 
combined  will  produce  orange;  while  red  and  blue  will 
produce  purple. 

It  should  not  be  understood  that  equal  quantities  of  these 
colors  will  give  the  desired  shade,  nor  that  any  shade  of 
red,  blue,  or  yellow  should  be  classed  as  primary.  In  the 
ideal  spectrum,  Fig.  1,  the  colors  marked  1,  3,  and  5  are 
normal,  primary  colors. 

The  strength  of  manufactured  colors  differs,  some  being 
so  intense  as  to  require  but  the  smallest  amount  to  counter- 
balance, or  offset,  the  color  used  in  connection  with  it.  A 
few  of  the  weak  colors  will  serve  as  an  example,  as  new 
blue,  Naples  yellow,  emerald  green,  etc.,  while  some  of  the 


6  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

colors  of  greatest  strength  are  Prussian  blue,  Indian  red, 
orange  chrome,  etc.  When  using  these  latter  colors  the 
greatest  care  must  be  observed  or  the  strong  color  will  be 
found  to  predominate  in  the  mixture. 

9.  Tertiary    Colors. —Combining  one  secondary  color 
with  another  secondary  will  produce  a  tertiary  color;  com- 
bining a  secondary  color  with  a  primary  will  also  produce  a 
tertiary.      The   principal    tertiary    colors    are   citrine,    olive, 
and    russet. 

10.  Semineutral  Colors. —Although  inferior  in  point 
of  color  order  to  the  third  class,  the  colors  that  compose  the 
semlneutral  class  are  most  important  for  the  place  they 
hold  with  respect  to  their  practical  use.     Any  color  that  is 
combined  with  black  is  reduced  in  the  scale  of  color  com- 
pounds to  an  entirely  new  and  distinct  series,  and  to  this 
class  belong  a  great  number  of  our  permanent  pigments, 
such   as   raw  umber,  raw   sienna,  sepia,  asphalt,  etc.     The 
semineutral  colors  are  brow?i,  maroon,  and  gray. 

11.  Neutral  Colors.— The  term  neutral  as  applied  to 
colors,  means  that  the  color  is  evenly  divided  in  intensity  or 
prominence  between   two   colors  in   their  proper  order,   as 
shown  in  the  ideal  spectrum,  Fig.  1.     By  referring  to  this  it 
will  be  readily  seen  which  colors  are  neutral.     The  colors 
marked  R  O,  red  orange;    Y  O,  yellow  orange;    Y  G,  yellow 
green;  B  G,  blue  green;  B  V,  blue  violet;  and  R  V,  red  violet, 
comprise  the  neutral  colors. 

12.  White    and    Black.— The     trade    term    color    is 
applied  to  every  mixture  that  is  used  as  paint,  but  technic- 
ally understood,  white  and  black  are  not  colors.     White  is  a 
combination  of  all  of  the  prismatic  colors,  while  black  is  in 
reality  the  absence  of  color.     Black  and  white,  as  pigments, 
enter  into  the  preparation  of  colors  and  shades  and  form  a 
most    important    ingredient.     By    combining    white    with    a 
strong  primary,  secondary,  or  other  color,  it  is  possible  to 
graduate  these  colors  from  their  normal  strength  to  a  point 
where  the  original  color  has  passed  the  limits  of  a  shade 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  7 

and  become  indistinct,  when  it  is  termed  a  tint.  By  the 
use  of  black  in  compounding  colors,  some  may  be  intensi- 
fied, while  others  acquire  an  entirely  different  hue.  The 
union  of  white  and  black  produces  slate  color,  lead  color, 
drab,  gray,  etc. 

13.  Pigments.— This  term  is  applied  to  certain  kinds 
of  alluvion  or  other  matter  with  which  a  vehicle,  such  as 
varnish,  oil,  or  turpentine  may  be  added  to  produce  a  paint. 
Mineral  pigments    are    those    found   in    their   natural  state 
and  comprise  a  low  grade,  or  the  inexpensive  colors.     Such 
colors   as  umber,   sienna,  ocher,   etc.  belong  to   this  class. 
The  higher  grades  of  mineral  pigments  are  produced  from 
metallic  oxides  and  are  reduced  from  a  metallic  state  either 
by  treatment  with  acid  or  by  incineration.     Vegetable  pig- 
ments are  limited  to  one  or  two  colors,  which  is  true  also  of 
animal   pigments;   bone  black   and  cochineal  are  important 
products  of  the  latter  class. 

Cochineal,  which  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  red  pigments, 
consists  of  the  bodies  of  female  insects  (Coccus  cacti),  killed 
and  dried  by  heat.  This  insect  is  a  small  creature,  a  pound 
of  cochineal  containing,  it  is  said,  70,000  dried  bodies  of 
cochineals.  The  insects  feed  on  plants  of  the  cactus  family, 
particularly  on  that  known  in  Mexico  as  the  napal,  quite 
nearly  allied  to  the  prickly  pear.  Besides  furnishing  us  a 
pigment,  cochineal  is  also  used  by  confectioners  as  a  color- 
ing matter  for  all  candies  that  are  required  to  be  given  a 
pink  color  or  a  deep  transparent  red. 

14.  Spectrum  Colors.  — In  the  color  chart,  Fig.   1,  is 
shown  the  ideal  spectrum.     The  proportion  of  color  is  made 
equal  for  reference   purposes.     It  contains  twenty-four  dis- 
tinct colors.      Between    the    red    and    orange,    orange    and 
yellow,  yellow  and  green,  green  and  blue,  blue  and  violet, 
there  are  three  colors;  one  neutral,  to  which  we  have  already 
referred,   and   one   on   either  side  of  this  partaking  of  the 
color  adjoining  it. 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 


HANDLING    OF    COLORS 

15.  Harmony    and     Contrast. —The     handling     of 
colors,    in    the    full    sense    of   the   word,   does    not    mean 
simply  the  knowledge  of    the  many  ways  in  which  colors 
can  best  be  applied  to  a  surface,  but  involves  also  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  nature  of  the  colors  themselves,  the  effect  of 
the  elements  on  each,  and  the  relations  they  bear  to  one 
another.     This  relation  in  colors  classifies   them  as  either 
harmonizing   or  contrasting  with  one   another.      A  colorist 
should  understand  the  result  and  drying  effects   of  placing 
one  mixture  on  another,  each  having  as  a  base  an  entirely 
different  medium  or  liquid.     All  of  these   details   must  be 
considered,  and  many  annoyances  and  serious  complications 
can  be  avoided. 

16.  Warm  and  Cold  Colors. —Colors  are  in  harmony 
with  one  another  when  they  partake   of  the  same   general 
effect,    such    as    the    chrome    yellow    and    sienna,    chrome 
yellow  and  umber,  or  such  colors  or  tints  partaking  of  the 
red  or  yellow,  called   warm   colors,  or   those   of   the   oppo- 
site nature,  which  partake  of  gray,  lead   color,  green,  blue, 
etc.,  producing  colors   or  tints  that  are  called  cold  in  their 
effect  or  tone. 

17.  Contrast. —Colors  are  in  contrast  when  warm  and 
cold  colors  are  used  in  connection  with  one  another,  although 
all  such  colors  may  not  be  so  used  without  producing  a  hetero- 
geneous effect,  as  certain  shades  of  red  and  green,  blue  and 
green,  blue  and  red,  etc.  are  most  discordant  to  the  eye  when 
placed  close  together.     Coloring,  therefore,  is  a  study  that 
can  be  mastered  only  by  close  observation  and  experiment. 
Just  as  the  professional  musician  produces  some  combined 
sounds  that  thrill  us,  so  the  professional  colorist  produces 
effects  that  are  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  unskilled. 
More  particularly  is  this  true  of  the  coloring  displayed  by  the 
artist  who  imitates  nature.     He  may,  by  the  art  of  coloring, 
not  only  deceive  the  eye  but  produce  combinations  that  will 
be  most  pleasing  to  it. 


S 1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  9 

18.  Card -Writers'    Colors.  —  The    card    writer    often 
has  use  for  colors  and  mixtures  that  are  not  classified  with 
those   known   as  pure  colors.      Therefore,   there    are    many 
combinations    especially    useful    to    him,    the    preparation 
of   which    depends    on   his    ability   to   harmonize   and   con- 
trast colors. 

19.  Shading    Colors. —Water-color    black    and    burnt 
sienna  form  a  warm  neutral  color.     Black,  colored  slightly 
with  green  or  blue,  forms  a  cold  color  that  makes  a  pleas- 
ing contrast  with  the  former.     These  are  transparent  colors, 
and    are   used    mostly    on    white    show-cards    for    shading, 
ornamentation,  etc.     A  variety  of   opaque  colors  used   for 
lettering  on  black  or  colored  cards  may  be  made  by  placing 
a   quantity  of  show-card  white    (referred    to    later)    into   a 
small  dish  similar  to  a  sauce  dish  or  saucer,  and  by  wetting 
up    the  moist  water  color  desired  with  a  clean  brush  and 
water,  the  color  may  be  dropped  into  the  white   and  then 
thoroughly  mixed. 

20.  Gold  Color. —This  may  be  mixed  in  the  following 
manner:     Add    to    the    white,    chrome    yellow   and   orange 
chrome    in   equal    quantities;    a   small  amount  of  vermilion 
should   also    be    added.     Opaque    green    and    blue    shades 
may    likewise    be    produced.     For    an    opaque    water-color 
vermilion,  used  especially  on    black  or  dark-colored   cards, 
orange  vermilion    should   be  used.     This    possesses    excel- 
lent covering  qualities. 

21.  Flesh  Color.  —This  may  be  produced  by  combining 
Naples  yellow,   light  red,   and  white.     While   these  colors 
can  be  made  to  imitate  the  color  of  flesh  in  a  general  way, 
the  proper  shading  and  high  lighting  of  flesh  color  is  accom- 
plished  only  by  the  professional  colorist.      For  producing 
a  life-like   flesh  color,  such  colors  as  umber,  sienna,  blue, 
black,  and   green   are   employed.     The   natural   appearance 
of  the  flesh  is  obtained  by  glazing  with  transparent  colors 
and  stippling.     Umber  and  sienna  will  serve  to  shade  the 
index  hand  or  the  face  of  a  figure  sufficiently  good  for  use 
in  show-card  writing. 


10  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 

22.  Principal   Colors  Necessary. —White   and   black 
may  be  used  almost  exclusively  in  show-card  writing,   for 
all  practical  purposes.     Many  show-card  writers  confine  their 
brush  work  to  these  in  preference  to  colors,  believing  that 
simplicity  is  the  first  thing  to  be  observed  in   advertising, 
while  others  seek   to   attract  the  eye  by  colors   and  every 
novelty  that  can  be  introduced  on  the  show-card. 

Water  colors  take  a  most  important  place  in  card  writing. 
They  are  used  for  filling  in  outlined  letters,  also  for  decora- 
ting purposes,  by  embellishing  the  border,  coloring  designs, 
striping,  shading,  and  for  ornamenting  the  letters. 

Black  and  white  are  used  in  such  large  quantities  that  every 
letterer  should  be  able  to  prepare  them,  and  not  be  entirely 
dependent  on  the  manufactured  show-card  inks.  He  may 
not  be  able  to  produce  the  same  results  attained  by  the  use  of 
ready-prepared  colors,  but  he  will  find  the  white,  the  formula 
for  which  is  given  in  the  following  article,  to  flow  well  and 
cover  the  surface  with  one  coat.  While  we  recommend  this 
preparation  for  convenience  and  economy,  we  would  advise 
that  the  beginner  obtain  the  best  white  in  order  to  insure 
most  satisfactory  results.  Card-writers'  white,  furnished 
by  the  Technical  Supply  Company,  Scranton,  Pa.,  is  the  best 
product  on  the  market  for  this  purpose,  and  is  prepared  by 
one  of  the  leading  ink  manufacturers  of  our  country. 

23.  Preparation  of  White. —The  formula  for  white  is 
as  follows:     In  a  vessel  capable  of  holding  1  pint,  mix  dry 
zinc  white   with  water  until  it  becomes   a  thick   paste,   in 
quantity  not  to  exceed  two-thirds  the  capacity  of  the  vessel; 
cover  closely  and  allow  this  to  remain  a  day  or  two,  then  add 
about  £  fluid  ounce  of  mucilage.     The  effect  of  the  mucilage 
is  to  size  the  white;  that  is,  to  cause  it  to  adhere  sufficiently 
to  not  rub  off  after  it  has  been  applied  to  the  card  surface.    It 
also  has  the  effect  of  greatly  reducing  the  mixture  to  a  con- 
sistency where  it  may  be  applied  with  the  lettering  brush.    If 
it  be  found  necessary  to  add  water,  great  care  should  be  exer- 
cised in  thinning,  as  it  is  desirable  that  white  should  not  only 
cover  well  with  one  coat,  but  also  flow  readily  from  the  brush. 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  11 

24.  Preparation  of  Black. —The  color  known  among 
letterers  as  show-card  black  will  be  found  to  be  one  of  the 
best  black  preparations  for  card  work.  This  color  flows 
freely  from  the  brush,  is  an  intense  black,  and  dries  with  a 
glossy  surface  a  few  moments  after  the  application.  It  may 
be  prepared  by  the  student  as  follows:  Use  a  vessel  that 
will  hold  at  least  i  pint;  in  this  put  coach  black  (ground  in 
japan),  in  bulk,  equal  to  a  large  English  walnut;  add  three 
times  this  quantity  of  best  asphaltum,  also  about  a  table- 
spoonful  of  best  coach  japan.  Stir  until  thoroughly  mixed, 
and  thin  this  with  a  small  quantity  of  turpentine  until  it 
becomes  equal  to  the  consistency  of  cream,  or  so  that  it  will 
flow  freely  from  the  brush.  Should  the  black,  for  any  reason, 
fail  to  appear  a  jet  black,  more  coach  black  may  be  added, 
and  to  give  the  letters  a  gloss,  or  a  varnished  appearance, 
the  asphaltum  is  used.  Put  this  mixture  in  a  large-neck 
bottle  with  a  screw-cap  or  cork  top.  This  should  always 
be  well  shaken  before  it  is  used.  A  preparation  known  as 
letierine  is  also  an  excellent  mixture.  The  student  should 
never  use  in  letterine  a  brush  that  has  been  used  in  show- 
card  black  without  first  cleansing  it  thoroughly  in  turpentine 
and  afterwards  with  soap  and  water.  While  the  card-black 
preparation  contains  no  oil,  it  is  classified  as  an  oil  color. 
Letterine  is  purely  a  water-color  preparation. 

Brushes  used  in  card  black  or  oil  color  should  be  cleansed 
thoroughly  in  benzine  and  dipped  in  kerosene  oil  before  they 
are  laid  away,  while  it  is  only  necessary  to  rinse  brushes  in 
water  after  using  them  in  water  color.  The  kerosene  oil 
should  be  rinsed  out  of  the  brush  in  benzine  before  it  is 
again  put  in  color. 

When  water  colors  are  to  be  used  and  flowed  over  the 
black  letter  or  lines,  India  ink,  or  show-card  black  should 
always  be  used.  By  so  doing  the  liability  of  one  water  color 
working  up  into  another  and  resulting  disastrously  is  avoided. 
Higgins',  or  the  Technical  Supply  Co.'s,  waterproof  India  ink 
is  a  water  color  that  may  be  used,  however,  and  serve  the 
same  purpose  as  card  black. 


12 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


WATER    COLORS 

25.     Preparation    of  Water    Colors. —Water    colors 

are  prepared  by  thoroughly  grinding  a  pigment  to  a  powder 
and  mixing  this  with  strained  honey  to  a  thick  putty,  after 
which  it  is  placed  in  porcelain  pans  and  covered  over  with 
waxed  paper.  Honey  prevents  the  colors  from  drying  or 
hardening  and  renders  them  moist  and  easily  acted  on  by 
water.  Following  is  a  complete  list  of  water  colors,  which 
may  also  be  obtained  in  oil,  put  up  in  collapsible  tubes: 


Antwerp  blue 
Bister 
Blue  black 
Blue  verditer 
Brown  ocher 
Brown  pink 
Burnt  sienna 
Burnt  umber 
Charcoal  gray 
Chinese  white 
Chrome  — light 
Chrome  yellow 
Chrome  — deep 
Chrome  orange 
Cologne  earth 
Dragon's  blood 

Alizarine  crimson 
Brown  madder 
Cerulean  blue 
Crimson  lake 
Indian  lake 

Aureolin 
Burnt  carmine 
Cadmium  orange 
Cadmium  yellow 
Cadmium  — pale 
Carmine 
Cobalt 


LIST  OF  WATER  COLORS 

Emerald  green 

Flake  white 

Gamboge 

Hooker's  green,  No.  1 

Hooker's  green,  No.  2 

Indian  red 

Indigo 

Italian  pink 

Ivory  black 

King's  yellow 

Lampblack 

Light  red 

Magenta 

Mauve 

Naples  yellow 

Neutral  tint 


Indian  yellow 
Mars  yellow 
Neutral  orange 
Orange  vermilion 
Purple  lake 


Ex.  madder  carmine 

French  ultramarine 

Gallstone 

Green  oxide  chromium 

Intense  blue 

Lemon  yellow 

Mars  orange 


Olive  green 
Payne's  gray 
New  blue 
Prussian  green 
Prussian  blue 
Raw  sienna 
Raw  umber 
Roman  ocher 
Sap  green 
Terre  verte 
Vandyke  brown 
Venetian  red 
Vermilion 
Yellow  lake 
Yellow  ocher 


Scarlet  lake 
Scarlet  vermilion 
Sepia 

Roman  sepia 
Warm  sepia 

Pink  madder 
Pure  scarlet 
Purple  madder 
Rose  madder 
Smalt 
Ultramarine  ash 


Veronese  green 


Violet  carmine 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


13 


LIST  OF  OIL  COLORS 

Prepared  oil  colors  in  tubes  comprise  the  foregoing  list 
of  water  colors  with  the  following  additions: 


Asphaltum  black 

Bitumen 

Black  lead 

Caledonian  brown 

Cappah  brown 

Cassel  earth 

Chinese  blue 

Chrome  green,  No.  1 

Chrome  green,  No.  2 

Chrome  green,  No.  3 

Cinnaber  green  — light 

Cinnaber  green  — medium 

Cinnaber  green  — deep 

Cork  black 

Cremnitz  white 

Jaune  brilliant 

Mauve,  No.  2 

Megilp 

Burnt  lake 
Chinese  vermilion 
French  vermilion 
Green  lake  — light 
Green  lake  — deep 


Brilliant  ultramarine 

Carmine,  No.  2 

Citron  yellow 

Cobalt  green  • 

Emerald  oxide  of  chromium 

Extract  of  vermilion 

French  Veronese  green  . 

Indian  yellow 

Leitch's  blue 

Madder  lake 

Malachite  green 


3 -cool 
1  — warm 
2— warm 
3  —  warm 


Monochrome  tint,  No.  1  — cool 
Monochrome  tint,  No.  2  — cool 
Monochrome  tint,  No. 
Monochrome  tint,  No. 
Monochrome  tint,  No. 
Monochrome  tint,  No. 
Orpiment 
Oxford  ocher 
Permanent  blue 
Permanent  white  (zinc) 
Permanent  yellow 
Prussian  brown 
Sky  blue 
Sugar  of  lead 
Terra  rose 

Transparent  gold  ocher 
Verdigris 
Verona  brown 


Geranium  lake 
Pale  vermilion 
Rembrandt's  madder 
Rubens'  madder 
Sepia 


Mars  brown 
Mars  orange 
Mars  red 
Mars  violet 
Mineral  gray 
Permanent  mauve 
Permanent  violet 
Scarlet  madder 
Strontian  yellow 
Viridian 


26.  Water  Colors  Necessary.  —  Such  water  colors  only 
as  are  included  in  the  outfit  are  necessary  for  card  writing. 
Should  a  student  be  unable  to  procure  these  of  his  local 


14 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


dealer  in  artists'  materials  he  may  be  supplied  through  the 
Technical  Supply  Company,  Scranton,  Pa.  Many  of  the 
foregoing  colors  are  furnished  in  screw-cap  glass  jars  and 
are  convenient  as  well  as  economical  for  those  using  water 
colors  in  large  quantities. 


BRUSHES 

27.  Red  Sables.  — The  brushes  used  mostly  in  card  wri- 
ting are  the  long-handled,  red-sable  brushes,  known  as  riggers. 
These  range  in  sizes  numbered  from  1  to  12  consecutively. 
The  hair  of  No.  1  is  1  inch  long,  while  that  of  No.  12  is 


about  1  inch  long.  As  shown  in  Fig.  3,  these  brushes  are 
well  made  and  suitable  for  use  in  oil  or  water  color.  Artists' 
red-sable  brushes  known  as  AV/>//A-  are  a  variety  that  give 
general  satisfaction.  Being  flat  or  chisel-shaped,  they  are 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


15 


especially  useful  on  certain  kinds  of  letters  and  also  for 
shading.  These  range  in  size  from  1  to  9,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  4.  The  largest  sizes  are  most  serviceable. 


1234  5 


FIG.  4 


FIG.  5 

28.  Camel's-IIair  Brushes. —Next  to  the  red  sable  in 
importance  is  the  ordinary  camel's-hair  brush.  This  variety, 
known  as  super  extra,  ranges  in  eight  sizes  numbered  from 
1  to  8.  The  hair  of  No.  8  is  IT  inches  long;  No.  1,  \  inch 


16 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


4  f>  6 

FIG.  G 


I 


0  1 


Pio. 


1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


17 


long.  These  brushes  are  known  also  as  goose  quills,  and  are 
the  least  expensive  brushes  used  by  letterers.  The  three 
sizes  shown  in  Fig.  5  are  sufficient  for  card-writing  purposes. 

29.  Square    Shaders. —Square   shaders    are    made    of 
selected    stock    and    are    the    best   variety    of    camel's-hair 
brushes   made.     They  range    in    sizes    from   Nos.  1    to   8, 
shown    in    Fig.    6,    and    are    also    known    by  the    name    of 
B   camel's  hair.     These  brushes   are  used  for  lettering   as 
well  as  shading. 

30.  Wash  Brushes.— The  brushes  generally  used  for 
flowing  large  quantities  of  water  color  on  a  cardboard  are 
of  two  varieties,  camel's  hair  and  red  sable.     The  former 
are  flat  and  are  made  in  five  sizes,  ranging  in  width  from 


FIG.  8 

I  to  1  inch,  shown  in  Fig.  7.  The  latter  are  a  round,  double- 
end  pointed  brush,  and  range  in  six  sizes  from  No.  00  to  4. 
The  red-sable  wash  brushes  are  found  most  convenient  for 
filling  in  letters  or  designs  when  a  pointed  brush  only  can 
be  used  to  advantage.  These  are  shown  in  Fig.  8. 


MATERIALS 


CARDBOARD    USED    BY    CARD    WRITERS 

31.  Card-Writers'  White  Blank. -The  size  of  white 
cardboard  used  for  general  sign  purposes  is  22  in.  X  28  in. 
A  size  28  in.  X  44  in.  may  also  be  obtained  in  the  white,  but 
not  in  colors.  White  cards  should  possess  a  dull  finish  that 
renders  them  capable  of  readily  absorbing  water  colors.  The 
thickness  known  as  8-ply  blank  is  commonly  used,  although 


18  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 

6-ply  is  of  sufficient  thickness  to  serve  all  requirements. 
They  are  put  up  in  original  packages  of  50  cards,  and  may 
be  procured  at  any  paper  warehouse. 

32.  Colored  Cards. —Colored    cards    are    furnished  in 
almost  every  color  and  shade,  but  the  colors  most  service- 
able to  a  card  writer  are  those  on  which  white  or  black  will 
show  to   the  best  advantage.     Black,   maroon,   sea    green, 
deep  blue,  chocolate,  yellow,  and  red  comprise    the  colors 
generally  used.     The  size  of  these  cards  is  22  in.  X  28  in., 
and  the  thickness  is  somewhat  less  than  the  6-ply  white  card. 

33.  Photo-Mounting  Board.— Gray  mounting  board, 
size  22  in.  X  28  in.,  all  thicknesses,  may  be  obtained,  and  this 
will  be  found  to  be  an  excellent  board  to  give  variety  to  a 
card-writer's  display.     It  may  be  lettered  in  black  or  white. 
A  white  letter  and  black  shade  is  often  used. 

34.  Beveled    Cards.  —  Beveled-edge    cards    are     much 
used  by  card  writers,  and  are  furnished  in  white  and  colors. 
The  sizes  of  these  gold-  and  silver-beveled  cards  are  fixed 
by  the  requirements  of  the  photographer.     The  regular  sizes 
used  in  mounting  photos  range  from  4  in.  X  5  in.  to  14  in. 
X  24  in.     They  may  be  obtained  from  any  dealer  in  photo 
materials. 

35.  Manila  Pattern  Paper.  —  For  large  announcements 
requiring  an  extra  large  surface,  the  Manila  pattern  paper 
may  be  used  to  the  best  advantage     By  pasting  the  edges 
and  fastening  strips  together,  an  interior  or  window  sign  of 
any   size  may    be    made.     Manila   pattern    paper  comes  in 
various  widths,  weight,  and  quality.     It  may  be  obtained  in 
roll  or  flat,  and  purchased  at  any  paper  warehouse. 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


ELEMENTS   OF  LETTERING 


COMPONENT  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

36.  The  stroke  is  the  term  applied  to  the  width 
between  the  outlines  forming  the  letter;  when  applied  to 
letters  possessing  more  than  one  width  between  its  outlines, 
it  always  refers  to  the  greatest  width,  and  usually  to  the  ver- 
tical portion  of  the  letter,  as  distinguished  from  the  fine  line. 

The  fiiie  line  is  the  line  connecting  the  strokes  or  lines 
attached  to  them,  forming  a  part  of  the  letter,  and  is  usually 
a  horizontal  line. 

The  spur  is  a  small  projection  from  the  extremity  of  a 
letter  and  exists  in  several  varieties,  according  to  the  style 
of  letter  on  which  it  is  used. 

The  face  of  a  letter  usually  includes  all  the  space  forming 
a  rectangle  enclosing  the  extremities  of  the  letter,  but  is 
often  applied  to  the  surface  within  the  outline  of  the  letter. 

The  term  shade  is  used  to  describe  the  treatment  or 
finish  of  a  letter.  It  is  applied  to  a  letter  to  give  it  the 
appearance  of  relief  from  the  background;  also,  to  cause 
one  part  of  the  stroke  to  appear  projected  or  depressed 
from  the  surface. 

Block  is  similar  to  the  shade  in  effect,  and  is  used  to  give 
a  letter  thickness,  or,  as  its  name  expresses,  to  give  it.  a 
solid  block  effect,  in  which  case  the  shade  also  is  sometimes 
used  beyond  the  block  in  the  form  of  a  natural  shadow. 

The  outline  of  a  letter  is  the  line  that  forms  the  letter, 
leaving  the  body  of  the  stroke  open. 

The  width  of  letters  always  applies  to  the  space  occupied 
between  the  vertical  lines  to  the  extreme  right  and  left,  and 
never  refers  to  the  height. 

The  background  is  the  surface  on  which  the  lettering  is 
placed;  it  is  also  sometimes  called  the  ground,  or  field. 


20  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 

Condensing  is  a  term  applied  to  the  closer  spacing  of 
the  letters,  or  to  making  them  narrower  than  normal  width. 

Elongating  is  the  term  applied  when  the  letters  are 
drawn  out  to  a  greater  width  than  the  normal.  This  term 
should  not  be  confused  with  the  appearance  of  a  condensed 
letter,  with  reference  to  its  height. 

The  cynia  is  a  character  employed  to  equalize  the  spacing 
of  irregular  letters  by  placing  it  where  the  space  is  open 
and  requires  something  more  than  the  plain  letter  to  make 
the  word  appear  solid.  This  character  derives  its  name 
from  the  Greek,  its  undulating  form  resembling  a  wave. 
The  cyma  is  usually  attached  to  the  letters  A,  L,  M,  IV,  etc.; 
it  is  used  in  but  few  styles  of  lettering,  while  in  such  styles 
as  Old  English  it  becomes  a  part  of  the  letter  itself. 


SPACING  OF  LETTERS 

37.  Importance  of  Spacing. —Next  in  importance  to 
the  formation  of  letters  stands  the  art  of  arranging  them  in 
words  in  a  way  calculated  to  make  the  word  not  only  legible 
but  symmetrical.     This  is  called    spacing.      Nothing    will 
destroy  the  harmony  of   a  line  of  perfectly  formed  letters 
more   effectively    than   a  disregard  of    this   art.     The   card 
writer  must  depend  on  his  own  good  judgment,  and  cultivate 
the  ability  to  proportion  all  spaces  according  to  the  combi- 
nations of  letters.     He   seldom  marks  out  the  letters  with 
accuracy,  and,  for  this  reason,  must  learn  to  approximate  the 
space  occupied  by  a  word  and  to  give  each  letter  its  proper 
relative  position  in  the  word.     Irregular  combinations  occur 
in  many  ways,  but  true  proportion  must  always  reign  in  a 
word  accurately  spaced,  so  that  its  regularity  is  apparent  to 
the  eye  at  a  glance.     To  accomplish  this,  special  attention 
must  be  given  to  the  width  of  the  letter,  the  width  of  the 
stroke,  and  the  space  between  letters. 

38.  Correct  and  Incorrect  Spacing.  —Make  the  inter- 
spacings  equal  to  one  another,  or  as  nearly  so  as  possible. 
To  do  this  may  require  the   shortening  of  some  extended 
letters,  and  the  spreading  apart  of  letters  having  vertical  or 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  21 

parallel  lines.  This  is  shown  by  Figs.  9  and  10,  in  which  the 
right  and  the  wrong  spacing  can  be  seen.  The  L  in  Fig.  9  is 
shortened  a  full  stroke  in  width  instead  of  one-half  stroke, 
which  is  the  normal  width  of  the  letter;  and  the  space 
between  the  A  and  the  IV  is  about  one-half  the  width  of  the 
letter  A  at  its  base.  At  the  top  of  the  A  is  shown  the  cyma 
used  to  relieve  the  space  that  cannot  be  equalized.  The  cyma 
is  also  often  used  in  a  vertical  position  on  the  L,  the  point 

TAW  LAW 

FIG.  9  FIG.  10 

almost  resting  on  the  lower  right-hand  spur.  Fig.  10  shows 
the  effect  of  the  rule  followed  by  some  letterers,  who  allow 
the  same  space  between  the  extremities  of  all  letters, 
and  make  no  allowance  for  unequal  interspaces.  The 
parallel  strokes  of  the  A  and  the  W  are  the  same  distance 
apart  as  the  L  and  the  A,  leaving  the  L  full  width.  Many 
such  combinations  occur,  and  unless  we  observe  this  rule  we 
may  expect  no  better  effects  than  in  Fig.  10.  Two  project- 
ing letters,  either  L's  or  7~'s,  often  occur  together,  as  in  such 
words  as  "millinery,"  "butter,"  etc.,  and  at  the  same  time  in 

ILLN    UTTEI 

FIG.  11  FIG.  12 

connection  with  letters  that  are  full  face  or  occupying  full 
width  top  and  bottom,  as  shown  in  Fig.  11.  In  such  cases  the 
L  should  be  made  the  width  of  the  stroke  narrower  than 
the  full-face  letters,  and  the  spaces  between  the  latter  and  the 
right-hand  letters  next  to  them  should  be  one-half  the  width 
of  the  stroke.  There  should  be  a  space  of  the  full  width 
of  the  stroke  between  parallel-stroke  letters,  as  the  /  and 
the  L.  In  Fig.  12  the  T's  are  shortened  only  one-half 


22  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

the  width  of  the  stroke,  allowing1  the  same  space  between 
them  and  the  letters  on  each  side  as  allowed  in  Fig.  11 
between  the  end  of  the  right  L  and  the  stroke  of  the  N. 
The  letters,  therefore,  with  which  we  shall  experience  the 
most  difficulty  in  spacing,  are  the  slanting-stroke  letters 
A,  K,  V>  IV,  and  Y  and  the  projecting  letters  /%  J,  L,  and  T. 
Two  round  letters  coming  together,  such  as 


oo 


in  condensed  styles,  having  no  spurs,  may  be  allowed  to 
almost  touch  each  other  without  having  the  effect  of  doing 
so;  while  such  letters  as 


JE 


produce    the    effect    of    being    closer    together    than    they 
really  are. 

39.  Care  must  always  be  exercised  in  selecting  a  style  of 
letter  to  suit  a  space  as  well  as  a  word.  The  placing  of  a 
word  in  a  given  space  not  appropriate  to  it  will  cause  the 
letters  to  be  either  so  separated  by  spaces  or  so  condensed 
for  want  of  space  as  to  make  them  unsightly  and  difficult  to 
read.  Under  the  heading  of  Inscription  Designing,  the  sub- 
ject of  the  selection  of  styles  to  meet  all  requirements  is  fully 

SENATE 


PIG. 13 


treated.  The  appearance  of  the  spacing  of  letters  is  similar 
to  that  of  a  company  of  soldiers.  If  a  portion  of  the  com- 
pany be  separated  by  a  space  greater  than  the  manual  pre- 
scribes; it  has  the  appearance  of  a  separate  detachment  and 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  23 

is  noticeable  at  a  glance.  In  the  same  manner,  if  a  word  is 
spaced  properly  throughout  with  but  one  exception,  it  has 
the  appearance  of  two  words.  For  example,  take  the  word 
il senate"  shown  in  Fig.  13,  where  the  space  between  the  N 
and  the  A  gives  it  the  effect  of  being  two  words. 


SHADING 

40.  Shading  on  the  L.eft  Side. —  Shading  is  used  to 
cause  the  letter  to  appear  in  relief,  and  thereby  take  away  the 
flat  or  plain  appearance.  Shading  may  be  placed  on  the  top, 
bottom,  or  either  side  of  a  letter,  but  it  should  at  first  always 
be  placed  on  the  bottom  and  left  side;  as,  for  several  reasons, 
it  is  best  not  to  try  to  shade  a  letter  on  the  right  side  until 
the  student  is  familiar  with  the  left,  as  he  will  use  this  side 


(*>) 

FIG.  14  FIG.  15 

for  all  practical  purposes.  The  reasons  for  giving  this  side 
the  preference  are:  (1)  Regularity  and  symmetry  of  the 
shade  occurs  in  more  of  the  letters  when  shaded  on  the  left 
side,  such  as  the  S,  E,  C,  R,  etc.  Fig.  14  illustrates  this 
advantage,  and  shows  the  single  stroke  on  the  left  at  (a), 
and  the  broken  shade  from  the  stroke  on  the  right  side 
at  (£).  (2)  By  shading  to  the  left,  the  letterer  can  accom- 
plish more  in  a  given  length  of  time,  and  produce  a  better 
effect  in  his  work  when  finished.  (3)  The  majority  of 
strokes  in  shading  to  the  left  are  drawn  toward  the  letterer, 
while  in  shading  on  the  right  the  brush  is  pushed  to  the 
right,  which  in  itself  is  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  the 
former. 


24 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


41.  Shading  should  always  be  executed  on  the  assump- 
tion that  the  light  falls  on  the  letter  at  an  angle  of  45°.  This 
principle  can  best  be  shown  by  reference  to  Fig.  15.  The 
maximum  width  of  the  shade  occurs  at  a,  a,  midway  between 
the  two  lines  b,  b,  and  then  diminishes  to  lines  b,  b,  where  it 
is  completed.  The  tendency  of  the  average  letterer  is  to 
give  too  much  thickness  where  shade  begins  or  finishes. 
All  letters  must  be  shaded  on  the  same  angle  at  every  point, 
and,  after  practice,  this  angle  becomes  as  well  established 
with  the  letterer  as  the  horizontal  or  vertical  lines.  Every 
characteristic  point  of  the  letter  must  be  shown  in  the 


FIG.  16 


FIG.  17 


shade,  as  at  a,  Fig.  16,  and  all  must  be  of  equal  width  in 
all  letters  except  the  round  characters,  whereon  the  shade 
reaches  this  width  only  at  the  maximum  point  of  thick- 
ness in  the  letter. 

42.  Block  Shade.— There  are  many  methods  of  obtain- 
ing beautiful  effects  in  shading,  which  will  be  considered 
separately.  The  block  shade,  as  its  name  indicates,  consists 
of  the  effect  of  making  the  letter  appear  to  have  thickness. 
This  is  done  by  the  use  of  two  shades,  the  dark,  or  stronger 
one,  being  used  underneath  all  horizontal  strokes,  and  the 
lighter  tint  on  the  side  of  all  vertical  strokes.  The  block 
shade  can  also  be  placed  on  the  top  or  right  side  of  the 
letter,  in  which  case  the  block,  as  well  as  the  letter  itself,  is 
shaded  the  same  as  that  shown  in  Fig.  17.  Here  the  shade 
has  below  and  to  the  left  of  the  letter  the  appearance  of  a 
cast  shadow. 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


25 


43.  Cast  Shadow.  —  The  cast  shadow  is  also  used  in 
connection  with  heavy-stroke  letters,  block  shading,  etc., 
giving  the  letter  the  appearance  of  standing  upright,  either 
on  a  level  or  on  a  slanting  surface.  The  top  of  the  shade  is 
on  a  line  about  one-fifth  of  the  height  of  the  letter  below  the 
top.  The  shade  is  made  on  an  angle  of  30°  to  the  left,  the 


FIG.  18 

point  resting  on  the  lower  left  corner  of  the  letter,  as  in 
Fig.  18,  where  (a)  shows  the  letter  with  a  block  shade  and 
cast  shadow,  and  (b)  shows  the  simple  outlined  letter  and  cast 
shadow.  The  shade  is  sometimes  used  by  duplicating  the 
letter  in  the  form  of  a  shadow  cast  on  the  background,  one- 
fifth  of  the  height  of  the  letter  below  the  top,  and  on  the 
same  angle  (45°)  as  the  regular  shade,  as  shown  in  Fig.  19. 


FIG.  19  FIG.  20 

44.  Relief  Shade. —  Relief  shade  is  obtained  by  leaving 
a  space  between  the  letter  and  the  shade  on  the  same  angle 
as  the  shade,  as  shown  in  Fig.  20,  making  the  space  and 
shade  of  uniform  width.  When  used  in  connection  with 
block  shade,  it  is  often  of  the  nature  of  the  natural  shade, 
and  is  added  to  the  block  shading  without  any  line  or  space 


26 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


between.  The  relief  shade  when  used  as  a  natural  shade  on 
a  white  or  tinted  ground  is  made  to  represent  the  strength 
of  the  shadow  cast  from  an  object  on  the  ground  on  which  the 
letters  are  placed.  This  shade  is  produced  with  the  pen  by 
means  of  lines,  but  more  effectively  by  the  brush  and  trans- 
parent color. 

LETTER-FACE  LIGHTING  AND   SHADING 

45.  Importance  of  Subject.— The  treatment  of  the 
face  of  the  letter  is  a  very  important  consideration.  The 
letterer  often  finds  himself  confronted  with  a  line  of 
extremely  plain  lettering  that,  even  after  it  is  shaded, 
remains  flat  and  unsatisfactory.  This  effect  can  sometimes 
be  overcome  by  the  addition  of  lights  and  shades  placed 
directly  on  the  letter  face  itself.  The  face  of  the  letter  may 
be  variegated  or  blended  from  a  light  to  a  dark  shade,  in 
which  case  a  sharp  outline  must  surround  the  entire  letter, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  21.  Lighting  and  shading  are  used  with 


FIG.  21 


FIG.  22 


FIG.  23 


best  results  on  heavy-faced  letters,  as  all  treatment  of  the 
face  of  a  letter  by  shading  has  the  tendency  to  considerably 
reduce  the  apparent  width  of  the  stroke. 

46.  Effects  Produced.— Another  effect  is  produced  by 
running  bars  of  color  across  the  center  of  the  letter,  and 
diminishing  these  bars  in  width  to  a  point  midway  from 
center  to  top  and  bottom,  as  in  Fig.  22.  Diminishing  circles 
are  also  used  on  letters  of  lighter  face,  such  as  the  Roman, 
and  can  be  made  to  occupy  the  entire  face,  or,  as  is  shown 
in  Fig.  23,  terminating  at  a  given  point,  which  must  be 
regularly  observed  throughout  the  line  of  letters. 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


27 


47.  Heavy  Highlight. —The  heavy  highlight  is  used 
in   the  treatment  of  the   face   of  the  letter  by  making  the 
upper  half  of  the  letter  a  uniform  tint,  either  by  lining,  as 
shown  in   Fig.  24,  or  with  colors.     The  darker  shade  b  is 
placed  on  the  lower  half  of  the  letter,  allowing  a  highlight 
on  this  equal  in  strength  to  a,  or  the  upper  half.     The  high- 
light c  on  the  upper  half  of  the  letter  is  left  white.     By  a 
combination  of  the  shades  of  colors  many  beautiful  effects 
can  be  produced  by  this  means,  using  blue,  green,  gray,  or 
gold  color,  the  last  of  which  combines  with  sienna  for  the 
lower  portion,  and  with  cream  color  for  the  upper  highlight. 
Blue  or  green  when  used  should  have  tint  and  shade  of  the 
same  color. 

48.  Beveled  Shading. —Shading  on  the  face  of  a  letter 
to  represent  a  beveled  appearance  is  another  treatment  that 
gives  a  line  of  lettering  a  finished  and  pleasing  effect.     In 


FIG.  24 


FIG.  25 


this  process  it  is  necessary  only  to  observe  the  rules  of  light 
and  shadow,  as  shown  in  Fig.  25,  by  shading  the  letter  on 
the  left  and  bottom  sides  from  a  line  drawn  through  the 
center  of  the  face  of  the  letter.  This  form  of  shading  is 
often  used  on  a  gold  or  silver  letter  by  the  use  of  trans- 
parent colors  such  as  varnish  stained  with  asphaltum,  which 
is  used  on  gold,  and  varnish  darkened  with  lampblack  is  used 
on  silver  letters.  There  are  many  other  methods  of  treating 
the  face  of  letters  by  the  use  of  ornament,  whereby  it  loses 
its  identity  as  a  plain  and  becomes  an  ornamental  letter. 


28 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


THE    HIGHLIGHT 

49.  As  its  name  indicates,  the  highlight  is  used  to 
illuminate  or  light  up  a  letter,  which  it  does  with  wonder- 
ful effect.  The  highlight  is  placed  on  the  edge  of  the 
letter,  opposite  the  shade,  or  on  the  right  and  top  of 
the  strokes.  It  is  always  a  fine  line  of  either  gold,  silver, 
white,  or  cream,  according  to  the  color  of  the  letter  on 
which  it  is  to  be  placed.  If  the  letter  is  a  colored  one, 
gold  or  silver  can  be  used.  If  the  letter  is  gold,  nothing 
will  serve  the  purpose  of  a  highlight  so  well  as  cream  or 
white.  On  silver  or  aluminum,  white  only  can  be  used. 
To  be  most  effectual  this  highlight  must  be  a  fine,  even 
line.  The  heavy  highlight  is  used  in  letter-face  lighting 
and  shading,  and  is  explained  under  that  head. 


CUTTING    IN    LETTERS 

50.  Uses  of  Cut-in  Letters. —This  term  is  applied  to 
that  style  of  treatment  wherein  the  letters  are  drawn  in  out- 
line, and  the  background  is  filled  in  around  them.  In 
inscription  designing  this  method  is  resorted  to  frequently, 


BR 


FIG.  26 


in  order  to  break  the  monotony  of  several  lines  of  plain 
lettering.  The  insertion  of  a  panel  or  ribbon,  on  which  the 
letters  are  cut  in,  provides  a  colored  background,  against 
which  the  letters  are  outlined,  allowing  the  same  color  for 
the  letters  as  the  main  ground  of  the  inscription  design,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  26.  The  color  of  the  panel  and  background 
will  govern  very  largely  the  character  of  letter  to  be  cut  in. 
If  the  general  ground  is  white  or  any  light  color,  and  the 


1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


29 


cutting-in  or  outline  color  is  very  dark,  a  heavy-faced  letter 
may  be  used  without  causing  any  appearance  of  clumsiness 
or  ill  proportion.  A  white  letter  on  a  dark-blue  ground 
can  be  read  at  a  greater  distance  than  any  other  combina- 
tion of  colors. 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  LETTERS 


ORNAMENTAL    LETTERS 


51o     Scope  of  the  Subject.— 

all  alphabets  in  which  no  line  or 
curve  enters  that  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  show  their  form  or 
outline;  a  line  thus  added  may 
place  them  among  the  ornamental 
letters.  Although  it  will  be  impos- 
sible to  go  over  the  entire  ground 
covered  by  this  subject,  as  there 
are  endless  varieties  of  orna- 
mental letters,  the  styles  found  to 
be  most  essential  will  be  con- 
sidered. There  are  many  letters 
into  which  ornamental  construction 


The  plain  letters  include 


FIG.  28 


FIG.  27 

enters  but  slightly,  while 
others  are  composed  en- 
tirely of  ornamental 
forms.  The  ornamental 
letters  of  most  value  to 
the  student  are  those  on 
the  face  of  which  the  or- 
nament appears,  either  in 
the  form  of  relief  scrolls, 
geometrical  figures,  or 
designs  in  arabesque; 
although  this  latter  treat- 
ment is  not  used  exten- 
sively in  modern  practice. 


30 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


52.     Ornamental  Forms. —  Letters   classified   as   orna- 
mental are  of  so  great  a  variety  that  such  as  are  used  in 

connection  with  the  shade 
to  produce  a  bent  or 
rounded  effect,  as  shown 
in  Figs.  27  and  28,  might  be 
classed  with  this  style. 
Fig.  27  shows  the  ground 
to  be  a  plane  surface  and 
the  letter  bent  or  warped, 
while  Fig.  28  shows  the 
fj^/^  FiG.29  letter  to  be  perfectly 

straight,  and  fastened  with 

screws,  while  the   ground  has  the  effect  of  being  bent  or 
warped. 


FIG.  30 

53.  A  letter  that  in  itself    is  perfectly  plain   but  sur- 
rounded by  ornamentation,  as  shown  in  Fig.  29,  is  called  an 
ornamental  letter  also,   though 

as  a  matter  of  fact  the  letter 
itself  may  be  perfectly  plain. 

54.  Other  Forms.— Other 

ornamental  forms  are  as  fol- 
lows: The  relief-ornament 
letters  shown  in  Fig.  30  can  be 
made  in  various  ways.  The 
whole  form  of  the  letter  may  be  treated  in  this  manner,  as 
at  (a),  or  by  simply  suggesting  it  in  the  middle  or  edge  of 
the  letter,  as  in  (b) ,  (c),  and  (d).  A  letter  may  be  plain,  so 


FIG.  31 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


31 


far  as  its  face  is  concerned,  but  on  account  of  its  form  and 
construction  it  may  be  classified  as  ornamental,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  31. 

There  are  many  forms  of  designs  used  in  letter-face  orna- 
mentation, either  filigree  work,  geometrical  designs,  or  a  com- 
bination of  both.  In  Fig.  32  are  shown  three  letters  of  the 


(c) 


face-ornament  class,  the  one  at  (a)  being  decorated  with 
filigree  work,  while  (b)  shows  a  geometrical  design,  and 
(c)  simply  the  cross-line  shading. 


GROTESQUE     LETTERS 

55.  Rustic  Letters.— All  letters  are  either  plain,  orna- 
mental, or  grotesque.  The  first  two  classes  follow  in  their 
outline  construction  the  forms  of  the  fundamental  styles  and 
their  many  variations,  but  this  third  class  is  entirely  different. 
The  grotesque  letters  have  no  recognized 
or  classical  form,  such  as  would  place 
them  among  the  styles  of  the  alphabet, 
but  are  made  by  using  natural  objects, 
which  are  arranged  so  as  to  conform  to 
any  regular  or  irregular  shape  that  will 
cause  them  to  represent  a  letter,  and  any 
form,  therefore,  is  allowable  so  long  as 
the  letter  may  be  recognized.  To  accom- 
plish this,  objects  such  as  a  human  figure,  a  piece  of  rope 
or  ribbon,  broken  boards,  leaves,  vines,  and  trunk  of  a  tree 
are  used.  Of  the  three  latter  forms,  the  rustic  letters  are 
made.  The  leaves,  tendrils,  stump,  and  trunk  of  a  tree 


FIG.  33 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


form  the  material  used  for  an  entire  alphabet,  one  letter  of 
which  is  shown  in  Fig.  33.  These  letters  can  be  made  very 
artistic,  and  show  great  skill  in  their  arrangement.  And, 
while  they  may  be  pleasing  to  the  eye,  they  are  of  no 
practical  importance  to  the  student  in  the  study  of  show-card 
writing,  as  their  proportions  are  purely  arbitrary.  Examples 
of  these  letters  are  given  in  order  that  the  student  may 
be  able  to  form  any  style  of  letter  were  he  called  on  to 
do  so.  Fig.  34  shows  the  forms  of  some  of  the  grotesque 


FIG.  34 

letters,  in  wrhich  (a)  is  formed  by  a  human  figure,  (/>)  by 
broken  boards,  and  (c)  with  a  piece  of  rope.  Any  alphabet 
may  be  constructed  of  these  forms  as  the  fancy  of  the  artist 
may  dictate,  even  though  he  may  be  ignorant  of  the  true 
form  or  proportion  of  the  simplest  style  of  the  alphabet. 


ILLUMINATED    CAPITALS 

56.  History  and  General  Use.— The  monks  of  the 
Middle  Ages  were  the  first  to  make  use  of  this  art,  many 
specimens  of  which  would  indicate  that  they  must  have 
spent  days  in  designing  and  executing  a  single  letter.  In 
treating  this  subject  here,  our  purpose  is  simply  to  call 
attention  to  the  most  simplified  forms  of  illuminating, 
especially  those  forms  designed  for  the  use  of  the  average 
card  writer.  The  practical  use  of  this  art  is  now  confined  to 
lithographing,  engrossing,  card  work,  and  ecclesiastical 
decorations.  The  printing  and  lithographing  artists  have 
displayed  wonderful  skill  in  recent  years  in  illuminated 
work,  especially  on  show-bill  designs.  The  use  of  colors  to 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


33 


light  up  the  capital  letter  gives  a  surprising  effect  to  a  com- 
plete line  of  lettering,  and  is  done  by  a  simple  combination 


FIG.  35 

of  designs  of  most  harmonious  colors  with  the  letter  exe- 
cuted, and  by  using  colors  of  striking  contrast  to  the  tints 
used  to  form  the  background. 
Such  colors  as  can  be  combined 
to  give  a  brilliant  effect  are  used 
in  the  form  of  a  plaque,  part  panel, 
or  both,  on  which  the  letter  is 
brought  out  most  conspicuously, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  35.  The  illumina- 
tion practiced  by  engrossers  is 
usually  of  such  a  nature  as  to  pro- 
duce a  finished  and  pleasing  effect 
without  resorting  to  colors.  There 
are  many  ways  by  which  this  can  be  accomplished.  One 
method  is  simply  by  the  use  of  a  pen  and  black  ink,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  36,  outlining  the  letter  first,  then  making  the 


FIG.  36 


34 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


ornamentation  surrounding  it  conform  to  any  desired  design, 
thereby  giving  the  letter  prominence.  Great  care  should  be 
taken  that  the  ornamentation  is  not  made  more  pronounced 
than  the  letter,  but  rather  that  the  former  is  used  as  a  means 
to  bring  out  or  illuminate  the  letter. 

57.     Card   Work.  — For  card  work,   the   illuminating  of 
capitals    gives    tone    and  finish,   and   relieves    a    show-card 


FIG.  37 

of  extreme  plainness.  For  practical  purposes,  such  as 
attractive  advertising  cards,  banners,  etc.,  the  illuminating 
of  capitals  will  be  found  to  hold  an  important  place,  and  is 
coming  into  favor  and  more  general 
use.  There  are  also  many  forms 
and  designs  employed  as  a  panel,  on 
which  illuminated  capitals  are  placed, 
in  a  solid  or  outlined  letter;  the  out- 
line letter,  however,  being  the  most 
convenient,  is  most  frequently  used, 
especially  when  either  the  panel  or 
the  letter,  or  both,  are  to  be  treated 
in  water  colors.  The  letter  outlined  is  sometimes  filled  in 
with  carmine  or  other  bright  color,  while  the  panel  surrounds 
it  with  a  tint  of  cream  white,  yellow,  or  green.  Two  or 


Fir..  38 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  35 

three  shades  of  color  are  sometimes  used,  either  variegated 
or  in  the  form  of  line  work  on  top  of  tint,  as  in  Fig.  37. 

58.     Index  Capitals.— Fig.  38  shows  the  index  capital 
that  may  be  used  both  as  an  illuminated  capital,  or  to  draw 


FIG.  39 

attention  to  the  inscription  following.  If  the  hand  be  colored 
in  natural  colors,  and  the  letter  brought  out  conspicuously,, 
this  will  produce  a  most 
attractive  form  of  a  capital 
letter. 

59.     Paneled  Capitals. 

Illuminated    capitals    are 

used    in    show-card  writing 

on  a  panel  or  design  made 

to  conform  in  a  general  way 

to  the  letter  used.     By  the 

use    of   water   colors   these 

capitals  may  be  made  most  attractive  and  very  little  time 

will  be  consumed   in   designing   them.      Several   examples 

of  these  capitals  are  given  in  Fig.  39. 


FIG.  40 


36  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 

60.  Heraldic  Shield.  —  A  heraldic  shield  is  often  brought 
into  use,  on  which  the  illuminated  capital  is  placed.  There 
are  many  designs  or  forms  of  this  shield,  which  can  be  changed 
to  suit  any  form  of  a  letter,  as  shown  in  Fig.  40. 


TREATMENT  OF  LETTERS 


CONDENSING,    ELONGATING,    TELESCOPING,     AND 
INTERLACING 

61.  Condensing    Letters.  —  In   conforming    letters   to 
fill  a  required  space,  we  are  often  compelled   to  resort  to 
various  means  of  accomplishing  our  purpose,  without  making 
the  inscription  appear  distorted  or  out  of  proportion.     When 
the  panel  or  space  to  be  lettered  is  much  shorter  than  would 
admit  of  a  regularly  proportioned  letter,  we  are  compelled 

COMPANY 

FIG.  41 

to  resort  to  the  condensing  of  the  letters,  observing 
generally  the  rules  of  their  proportionate  width.  To  illus- 
trate more  fully,  the  word  company  is  used  to  show  the  two 
forms  of  condensing,  as  well  as  the  two  forms  of  elongating. 

62.  Example   of  Condensed  Letter.  — In   Fig.   41    is 
shown  the  condensed  form,  as  may  be  seen  by  comparing 
the  proportions  of  the  letters  with   those  of  the   Egyptian 
Plate.      The  letterer  may  condense  his  letters  to  the  width 
of  those  of  Fig.  41,  and  find  they  are  still  too  large  for  the 
required  space;  the  vertical  strokes  can  then  be  reduced  to 
one-half  the  regular  width,  and  the  horizontal  strokes  main- 
tained at  the  regular,  or  even  greater,  width,  and  less  space 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  37 

allowed  between  letters,  as  in  Fig.  42.  This  reduces  the 
word  to  almost  one-half  that  of  Fig.  41. 

63.  Elongating  Letters.— To  elongate  the  same  word 
in  the  same  style  of  letter,  make  the  height,  for  convenience, 
one-half  that  of  Fig.  41;  thus,  it 
will  be  observed  that  if  this  elon- 
gated letter  were  twice  the  height 
it  is  in  Fig.  43,  it  would  occupy  a 
space  almost  four  times  that  of 
Fig.  41.  To  further  elongate  this 
word,  reverse  the  rules  of  Fig.  42, 
by  reducing  the  horizontal  strokes 

one-half  the  regular  width,  keeping  the  vertical  strokes  regu- 
lar width;  or  these  may  be  increased  to  twice  their  regular 
width  if  desired,  also  giving  more  space  between  the  letters, 


FIG.  43 

as  shown  in  Fig.  44.  By  this  means  a  word  can  be  made  to- 
fill  a  space  much  too  long  for  the  regular  proportion  given 
this  style  of  letter. 

64.  Exaggerated  Example.— To  show  condensing 
and  elongating  in  its  maximum  form,  the  example  in  Fig.  45 
is  given.  This,  however,  is  a  form  of  lettering  that  is  not 


IVI 


FIG.  44 


practical  for  card  writing  except  it  be  used  merely  as  a 
novelty.  In  reading  this  style  of  letter  it  is  necessary  to 
incline  the  surface  in  order  to  produce  a  foreshortened  view 
of  the  letter,  and  to  close  one  eye  to  avoid  a  confusion  of 
the  vertical  lines. 


38 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


FIG.  45 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


39 


65.     Telescoping.  —Telescoping  is  not  of  so  much  prac- 
tical  advantage   as  condensing  or  elongating,   and  is  used 


O 


FIG.  47 

mostly  to  produce  a  relief  effect.  This  is 
done  by  giving  the  letters  the  appearance 
of  overlapping  one  another,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  47.  Every  alternate  letter  is  dropped 
enough  below  the  line  to  prevent  con- 
fusion of  horizontal  lines  and  to  preserve 
the  complete  identity  of  each.  These 
letters  can  be  shaded  on  the  background 
but  not  on  the  face,  as  this  would  tend  to 
destroy  their  legibility. 

66.  Interlacing.  —  Interlacing  to  its 
fullest  extent  enters  into  the  construction 
of  a  monogram;  but  the  form  of  inter- 
lacing at  present  under  consideration  is 
somewhat  different,  and  includes  the  inter- 
lacing of  an  entire  word.  This  is  very 
often  resorted  to  by  the  designer,  espe- 
cially in  the  use  of  eccentric  letters,  which 
are  made  to  extend  far  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  fundamental  styles  from  which  they 
are  derived,  as  shown  in  Fig.  46.  There 
are  examples  of  interlacing  and  tele- 
scoping combined,  one  of  which  is  given 
in  Fig.  48.  This  is  also  a  practical  treat- 
ment in  designing,  but  a  letterer  who 
understands  the  principles  of  the  fore- 
going subjects  may  easily  apply  them 
whenever  the  inscription  requires  to  be  thus  treated. 


40  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


BRUSH  WORK 


METHODS  OF  HANDLING  THE  BRUSH 

67.  Treatise  and  Practice.  — In  the  foregoing  pages 
we  have  endeavored  to  give  the  student  all  the  information 
necessary  to  enable  him  to  intelligently  undertake  the  prac- 
tical study  of  brush  work  in  all  its  forms.  Having  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  various  colors,  tools,  appliances,  materials, 
etc.,  which  have  been  given  him  thus  far  simply  in  the  form 
of  a  treatise  on  these  subjects,  we  now  require  him  to  take 
up  the  study  of  the  following  subjects  by  putting  into  practice 
every  detail  of  instruction  given,  subject  by  subject.  Before 
beginning  on  any  portion  of  the  practice  work,  on  which  we 
are  about  to  enter,  we  again  urge  upon  the  student  the 
necessity  for  constant  practice.  If  you  do  not  make  a  credit- 
able attempt,  even  after  many  trials,  do  not  be  discouraged; 
keep  on  trying  until  you  are  successful. 


EXERCISE  I 


STRIPING 

68.  Position  of  Hands.— For  practice  use  white  card- 
board. After  charging  the  brush  with  show-card  black,  the 
hairs  of  the  brush  should  be  drawn  to  a  point  on  a  paper 
palette  before  attempting  to  apply  the  brush  to  the  show-card. 
Use  a  No.  5  red-sable  rigger.  Study  carefully  the  position 
of  the  hand  shown  in  Fig.  49.  The  brush  is  held  firmly 
between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  allowing  the  handle  to 
rest  against  the  fleshy  part  of  the  thumb.  The  three  fingers 
remaining  free  are  used  to  guide  the  hand. 

The  beginner  should  at  first  run  a  stripe  quite  near  the 


§1 


SHOW  CARD  WRITING 


41 


edge  of  the  card,  about  i  inch  from  it.  We  would  advise 
that  he  first  mark  the  line  lightly  with  a  lead  pencil,  using  a 
straightedge.  Draw  an  even  straight  line.  To  avoid  the 
possibility  of  making  what  is  known  among  stripers  as  a  fat 
line,  that  is,  wider  in  some  parts  than  others,  the  hand 
should  be  maintained  at 
a  uniform  distance  from 
the  surface  of  the  card. 
This  feature  of  striping 
requires  much  practice. 
The  first  attempts 
will  show  irregular  and 
wavy  lines  of  various 
widths;  it  is  possible,  in 
a  short  time,  however, 
to  make  a  hair  line  by 
this  method  at  any  re-  ., 
quired  distance  from  the  ! 
edge  of  the  card.  Many 
expert  card  writers  ex- 
perience no  difficulty  in 
running  a  stripe  2  inches 
from  the  edge,  which  is 
the  maximum  distance  generally  required.  After  striping 
the  card  i  inch  from  the  edge,  the  student  should  run 
another  stripe  parallel  with  this  and  about  i  inch  inside  of  it. 
Repeat  this  operation  until  the  striping  is  1  inch  from  the 
edge;  then  use  a  fresh  piece  of  cardboard. 


FIG.  49 


69. 


EXERCISE   II 

Striping  With    the    T   Square. —There    are   two 


methods  of  accomplishing  the  same  results  in  hair-line 
striping.  The  card-writer's  design  may  be  composed  of 
several  fine  lines  that  run  at  various  angles  with  the  edge 
of  the  card.  He  is  compelled,  therefore,  to  seek  some  other 
method  for  striping  than  that  given  in  Exercise  I.  The 
position  of  the  hand  shown  in  Fig.  50,  aided  by  the  use 


42 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


of   the  T  square  or  other  straightedge,  will  best   serve   all 
requirements. 

For  practice,  take  a  piece  of  cardboard  or  stiff  flat  paper, 
charge  the  brush  as  previously  instructed,  take  the  brush 
between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  rest  the  fingers  remaining 
free  against  the  edge  of  the  T-square  blade,  and  proceed  to 
draw  lines  as  described  in  Exercise  I.  The  brush  must  be 


FIG.  50 

held  in  a  vertical  position.  Hold  the  brush  in  the  fingers 
as  closely  to  the  hair  as  possible.  By  observing  these 
few  directions  the  student  should  soon  be  able  to  draw 
a  hair  line  with  comparative  ease. 


EXERCISE  III 

70.  Broad  Striping.  —  In  Fig.  51  is  seen  another  process 
by  which  the  card  writer  is  enabled  to  execute  a  broad  stripe. 
It  is  by  this  means  also  that  large  letters  are  outlined  with 
accuracy  and  rapidity.  When  practicing  the  method  of 
striping  the  student  will  first  notice  that  the  position  of  the 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  43 

hand  is  similar  to  that  used  in  Exercise  I.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  hand  is  inclined  to  the  right  in  order  that  the 
brush  may  be  carried  beyond  the  blade  of  the  T  square. 
The  brush  should  be  held  as  nearly  parallel  with  the  surface 
of  the  card  or  paper  as  possible. 

The  brush  is  drawn  over  the  surface,  spreading  its  hairs 
somewhat,  and  touching  with  almost  the  entire  length  of  the 
brush.  Be  careful  to  keep  the  width  of  the  stripe  uniform; 
this  can  be  accomplished  only  after  much  practice. 

The  width  of  the  broad  stripe  must  be  governed  entirely 
by  the  width  and  style  of  brush  used.  The  brushes  recom- 
mended for  practice  in  this  style  of  striping  are  the  Nos. 
5  and  9  red-sable  rigger.  After  practicing,  using  this 
position,  the  student  may  make  the  broad  stripe  with  the 
hand  in  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  49,  Exercise  I.  He  will 
find  the  latter  as  convenient  and  useful  in  show-card  writing 
as  the  former.  When  striping  with  the  T  square,  do  not 
hold  the  square  at  the  head  as  when  working  with  the 
drafting  pen,  but  it  should  be  held  firmly  in  the  center  in 
order  to  resist  the  pressure  necessary  in  guiding  the  hand. 


EXERCISE    IT 


LETTERING 

71.  Position  of  Hands.— The  show-card  writer  has 
need  for  but  two  positions  in  placing  his  hands  on  the 
surface  of  the  card.  The  mahl  stick,  a  round  stick  with  a 
padded  end,  formerly  used  for  a  hand  rest  by  letterers,  has 
long  since  been  laid  aside,  and  the  arm  rest,  a  narrow  strip 
of  wood  with  cleats  fastened  underneath  either  end,  is  now 
seldom  seen  in  a  modern  show-card  establishment.  The 
show-card  writer  must  possess  the  same  freedom  in  the  use 
of  his  hands  as  is  necessary  in  penmanship.  To  accomplish 
this,  he  must  place  his  hands  on  the  surface  of  the  card. 
Fig.  52  shows  the  position  used  in  writing.  When  making 
letters  1  inch  high  or  under,  this  position  will  be  found  most 


44 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


45 


practicable,  and  the  card  writer  may  attain  great  speed  in 
executing  some  styles  of  letters  by  this  means.  Practice 
holding  the  brush  in  this  position,  making  vertical  lines 
1  inch  long.  When  letters  of  a  larger  size  are  required, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  right  hand  should  be  given  some 
rest,  or  support,  in  order  that  the  hand  may  be  raised  a 
sufficient  distance  above  the  surface  to  enable  the  letterer 
to  make  a  longer  stroke  with 
the  brush.  The  position 
shown  in  Fig.  53  has  been 
found,  by  card  writers  gener- 
ally, to  be  the  only  position 
that  will  serve  the  required 
purpose.  The  former  posi- 
tion being  the  one  used  in 
ordinary  writing,  is  familiar 
to  the  student.  We  there- 
fore require  him  to  practice 
especially  the  position 
shown  in  Fig.  53.  Allow 
the  left  hand  to  rest  in  any 
easy  position,  projecting  the 
little  ringer  somewhat  in 
order  to  steady  it.  The  right 
hand  should  rest  comfortably  on  the  left,  and  be  arranged  in 
such  manner  as  to  allow  the  wrist  of  the  right  hand  to  rest 
on  the  thumb  of  the  left;  the  brush,  being  held  between 
the  thumb  and  forefinger,  is  also  supported  by  the  second 
finger. 

Although  this  may  seem  to  be  somewhat  awkward  at  first, 
it  will  be  found,  with  a  little  practice,  to  be  the  most  natural 
and  comfortable  position,  as  well  as  the  one  by  which  the 
best  work  can  be  accomplished.  It  gives  a  greater  scope  to 
the  hand  in  making  a  stroke  than  any  other  position  or 
method;  it  also  forms  a  rest,  giving  the  letterer  entire 
control  over  his  brush.  After  some  practice,  a  perfectly 
straight  line  may  be  drawn  with  the  brush,  either  vertically 
or  horizontally. 


FIG.  52 


46 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


72. 


PLATE,    TITLE:    ELEMENTARY    LINES 

Elementary  Lines.  — It  is  important  that  the  stu- 


dent should  become  accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  brush  in 
the  several  positions  in  which  he  has  been  instructed,  and  be 
able  to  draw  all  elementary  lines  and  curves  before  begin- 
ning the  work  of  executing  the  alphabets.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  we  require  him  to  give  a  large  amount  of  time 
to  the  practice  work  given  in  the  preliminary  plates.  As 


FIG.  53 


previously  instructed,  use  Manila  pattern  paper  for  practice 
work;  make  each  line  and  curve  many  times,  and  when  you 
are  satisfied  that  you  possess  the  ability  to  construct  these 
in  a  creditable  manner,  prepare  them  as  shown  on  the  copy, 
using  the  drawing  paper  furnished  in  your  outfit,  and  send 
the  work  to  the  Schools  for  correction.  Draw  the  plate  as 
follows:  On  the  drawing  paper,  2 2  inches  from  the  edge  on 
either  side,  draw  a  light  lead-pencil  line;  3  inches  from  the 
bottom  edge  draw  another  line,  and  9  inches  above  this  draw 
the  top  line,  which  encloses  a  rectangle  9  in.  X  15  in.  Within 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  47 

this  space  arrange  the  figures,  beginning  with  the  vertical 
lines.  Use  the  No.  5  red-sable  rigger.  Make  an  even 
symmetrical  line  the  width  best  adapted  to  the  brush. 
Show-card  black  or  India  ink  may  be  used  by  the  student 
in  the  preparation  of  the  work  to  be  sent  in  for  correction, 
although  we  prefer  that  ink  be  used  for  this  purpose. 

The  figures  on  this  plate  consist  of  vertical  lines,  horizon- 
tal lines,  ogee  lines  (vertical  and  horizontal),  left  and  right 
arcs,  radiating  lines,  right  oblique  lines,  diagonal  lines,  left 
oblique  lines,  parallel  ogee  lines,  and  double  ogee  lines. 
After  completing  the  figures,  place  title  where  it  properly 
belongs.  Print  your  name,  class  letter  and  number  in  the 
right-hand  corner  of  the  drawing,  the  date  on  which  you 
completed  it  in  the  left-hand  corner.  An  ordinary  writing 
pen  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Make  the  letters  of  the 
size  and  style  shown  in  the  copy. 


PLATE,    TITLE:    ELEMENTARY    CURVES 

73.  Elementary  Curves.— In  the  construction  of  let- 
ters generally,  there  are  several  principal  curves  or  features 
that  predominate  throughout  the  alphabet.  In  ornament 
this  is  called  the  motive;  in  the  alphabet,  it  is  known  as  the 
stroke.  To  execute  a  series  of  these  curves  and  become  per- 
fectly familiar  with  all  curves  employed  in  letter  formation 
will  better  fit  the  student  for  the  more  difficult  task  of  join- 
ing these  together  to  form  a  symmetrical  and  well-propor- 
tioned letter.  Give  much  time,  therefore,  to  the  study  and 
practice  of  these  elementary  curves.  After  you  have  prac- 
ticed making  them,  and  are  able  to  execute  them  with  accu- 
racy, draw  a  rectangle  9  in.  X  15  in.  on  the  drawing  paper 
as  described  in  Art.  72,  and  arrange  them  in  their  proper 
order,  as  shown  in  the  copy.  Letter  the  title  and  print 
in  your  name,  class  letter  and  number,  and  date  where 
these  properly  belong,  and  send  the  work  to  the  Schools 
for  correction. 


48  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


IMPORTANT    TO    THE    STUDENT 

74.  The  subjects  that  follow  cannot  be  put  to  a  practical  use 
until  the  student  has  had  considerable  practice  in  letter  forma- 
tion.     We  therefore  recommend  that  he  defer  a  practical  study  of 
the  following  subjects  until  he  has  completed  the  plate  entitled 
Condensed  Egyptian.     However,  read  them  over  carefully  now 
before   proceeding   with  plate    entitled    Brush    Stroke   Letter. 
When  a  study  of  these  subjects  is  resumed,  take  up  each  separate 
subject  in  the  same  manner  as  you  would  an  exercise  in  brush 
work,   and  put  into  practice  every    detail  of   the    instructions 
given,  whether  this  be  in  the  form  of  a  process  or  a  practical 
suggestion.  

SPEED    IN    LETTERING 

75.  A  Common  Error. —Too  much  cannot  be  said  to 
warn  the  student  against  making  the  mistake  that  the  begin- 
ner is  very  liable  to  make,  namely,  that  of  at  once  aiming  for 
speed  in  lettering.     Speed  in  the  work  is  essential  for  the 
show-card  writer  in  our  day  of  activity,  as  well  as  for  any 
other  tradesman;   but  it  has  been  observed  that  our  most 
expert  and  speedy  card  writers  are  those  whose  early  career 
was  built  on  foundations  of  accuracy,  study,  and  painstaking. 
As  a  result  of  these  qualities  they  have  acquired  the  greatest 
speed,  and  while  they  may  execute  a  piece  of  work  in  the 
shortest  possible  time,  it  does  not  fail  to  bear  the  distinguish- 
ing evidence  of  a  master  hand.     The  beginner  that  would 
make    speed   his    first    requirement   unfits    himself   at   once 
for  the  highest  attainment,  and  is  soon  found  in  the  class 
whose    worthiest    ambition    is    expressed    in    their    creed, 
"Anything  is  good  enough  that  will  pass."     We  would  say, 
therefore,  do  not  at  first  consider  the  amount  of  time  that 
you  spend  in  executing  a  piece  of  work.     Let  the  student 
ask  himself  these  questions:    Have  I  done  the  work  to  the 
best   of    my    ability?     Could    I    improve    on    it  were    I    to 
execute  it  again? 

Again,  the  question  of  salary  enters  into  the  argument  in 
favor  of  the  careful  card  writer.     The  card  writer  of  greatest 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  49 

versatility,  whose  brain  sparkles  with  original  ideas  in  design- 
ing and  whose  work  is  faultless  in  its  execution,  can  readily 
command  a  salary  equal  to  four  times  that  of  the  workman 
whose  position  is  assured  him  only  because  of  his  ability  to 
turn  out  a  large  number  of  cards  each  day.  We  would  say, 
therefore,  put  a  high  premium  on  your  ability,  and  do  not 
allow  your  work  to  fall  so  low  in  the  estimation  of  your 
employer  that,  were  your  hand  work  not  a  matter  of  economy 
in  his  printing  bill,  your  services  could  be  easily  dispensed 
with.  Make  the  artistic  and  attractive  feature  of  your  show- 
card  writing  paramount,  and  you  will  find  laurels  laid  at  your 
feet  in  the  number  of  positions  offered  you  and  in  your 
opportunity  for  advancement.  In  conclusion,  we  would 
again  urge  upon  our  students  the  need  for  hard  and  con- 
tinuous study  combined  with  untiring  practice.  We  give 
complete  instruction  by  mail,  but  education  does  not  come 
to  the  student  straightway  on  opening  the  envelope;  it  is 
acquired  only  by  hard  work. 


METHODS     AND     APPLICATION 


DRY    COLORS 

76.  Use  of   Dry  Colors.— In  show-card   writing 
beautiful  effects  are  produced  on  white  show-cards  by  blend- 
ing several  colors  together,  thus  giving  the  appearance  of 
much  labor,  while  in  reality  little  time  is  required  to  accom- 
plish the  work.    Primarily,  dry  colors  are  intended  for  use  in 
combination  with  some  slow-  or  quick-drying  vehicle,  when 
they  are  converted  into  the  form  of  ready-mixed  paints.  The 
dry  colors  used  for  blending  must  not  be  mixed,  but  applied 
only  in  their  dry  state.     The  student's  outfit  consists  of  five 
small  packages,  labeled:  dry  blue,  dry  green,  dry  orange,  dry 
lemon,  dry  red. 

77.  Blending. —  Let  the  student  now  study  the   subject 
of  blending  with  these  colors  by  first  taking  a  sheet  of  white 
cardboard  14  in.  X  22  in.     Hereafter  we  will  refer  to  this 


50 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


as  a  half  card.  Lay  out  a  diamond  from  points,  1  inch 
from  center  of  top  and  bottom  edge,  and  i  inch  from  center 
of  either  side;  2  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  card  draw  a  line 
entirely  surrounding  the  card,  but  omitting  this  where  the 
points  of  the  diamond  cross  it.  We  then  have  the  design  as 
shown  in  Fig.  54.  Cut  out  a  triangular  opening  in  a  piece  of 
Manila  paper  that  will  correspond  in  size  and  form  with  one 
of  the  triangular  corner  pieces  of  the  background  left  uncov- 
ered by  the  diamond.  Allow  a  margin  around  this  triangular 
opening  of  4  or  5  inches.  Begin  by  rubbing  an  even  tint  on 
the  four  triangles.  To  insure  an  even  tint  take  a  small 


^*w 

BUTTER 


FIG.  54 

amount  of  the  green  and  place  it  on  a  piece  of  paper.  Use 
a  chamois  skin  or  a  wad  of  cotton  batting  for  rubbing  on 
the  color.  In  order  to  avoid  the  use  of  too  much  color,  the 
pad  should  be  dipped  into  the  color  and  rubbed  out  well  on 
the  paper  until  entirely  free  from  loose  color,  and  it  should 
then  be  applied  to  the  card,  using  the  triangle  in  the  form 
of  a  stencil.  Rub  the  space  until  evenly  covered  with  the 
tint.  Do  not  make  these  colors  too  strong;  their  purpose 
is  to  take  a  secondary  place  to  the  inscription  of  the  card. 
Repeat  the  operation,  by  cutting  out  a  diamond  the  size 
required;  blend  this  by  occupying  one-third  of  the  center 
horizontally  with  yellow.  Into  this  blend  red  in  the  top 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


51 


and  blue  in  the  bottom  part.  Outline  the  entire  design  with 
a  fine  line  of  black  or  red.  The  inscription  may  then  be 
placed  on  the  diamond  in  black,  as  shown  in  the  figure. 
Many  beautiful  designs,  such  as  illuminated  capitals,  ribbons, 
panels,  borders,  and  in  fact  any  design  that  can  be  cut  in 
paper  to  form  a  stencil,  may  be  thus  transferred  to  the  card. 


FIG.  55 


78.  Blending  Around  the  Design. —Another  treat- 
ment with  dry  colors  is  as  follows:  Design  a  heraldic  shield, 
or  a  fancy  panel,  suitable  for  an  illuminated  capital;  cut  this 
out  and  fix  it  in  the  desired  place  on  a  white  card.  Two 
colors  may  then  be  rubbed  on  and  blended  together  either 
horizontally  or  diagonally,  one  color  above  the  center  and 
the  other  below.  These  colors  should  be  of  greatest  strength 
close  to  the  shield  or  panel  and  gradually  diminished  in 
strength  as  they  leave  the  panel  until  they  become  indistinct, 


52  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

as  shown  in  Fig.  55.  The  panel  should  then  be  outlined 
with  a  strong  color.  The  letter  may  be  outlined  with  black, 
and  filled  in  with  scarlet  lake,  and  thus,  by  a  very  simple 
process,  an  elaborate  illuminated  capital  may  be  produced. 

79.  Border  Effects. —There  are  many  ways  of  intro- 
ducing artistic  effects  by  the  use  of  dry  colors  for  bordering 
cards.  This  may  be  accomplished  by  laying  on  a  straight 
piece  of  paper  1  or  2  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  card  and 
rubbing  on  the  dry  color  toward  the  edge  of  the  card.  A 
serrated  edge  may  be  produced  by  cutting  the  edge  of  the 
paper,  or  a  simple  design  may  be  cut  in  the  edge  of  the  paper. 
After  rubbing  on  the  dry  color,  the  edge  may  be  striped  with 
some  harmonizing  color,  or  with  black. 


ILLUMINATION    OF    SHOW-CARDS 

80.  Use  of  Water  Colors. —Water  colors  are  used  to 
the  best  advantage  on  white  show-cards  having  a  dull  finish 
that  readily  absorbs  the  moisture.  By  the  use  of  water 
colors,  white  or  black  lettering  may  be  made  most  conspic- 
uous, either  by  shading  the  letters  or  treating  the  letter  face 
as  described  under  separate  headings  that  treat  these  subjects 
in  a  special  manner.  But  the  handling  of  water  colors  is  not 
confined  to  these  subjects  only;  the  modern  show-card  writer 
can  embellish  and  elaborate  the  show-card  until  this  may  be 
rightly  classed  as  a  work  of  art.  The  designs  that  are  com- 
posed of  artistic  trade  marks,  floral  pieces,  or  symbolic 
ornament  offer  an  excellent  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
skill  in  coloring.  In  Show-Card  Design  and  Ornament,  such 
designs  are  given,  and  the  student  will  more  fully  appreciate 
our  present  instruction  when  he  possesses  an  experimental 
knowledge  in  the  more  advanced  subject  of  designing.  We 
now  require  him  to  devote  his  time  to  applying  the  present 
instruction  by  filling  in  outlined  letters  with  water  colors. 

On  a  piece  of  cardboard  outline  several  letters  from  the 
alphabet  entitled  Condensed  Egyptian.  Fill  in  one  letter 
with  scarlet  lake,  making  this  a  medium  shade.  On  the 
lower  half  of  the  letter,  when  dry,  flow  on  a  stronger  shade 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  53 

of  the  same  color.  The  other  letters  may  be  colored  in 
various  ways,  as  shown  on  the  plate  entitled  Transparent 
Color  Work. 

81.  Outlining  for  Water  Colors.  —The  outline  is  made 
with  India  ink  or  with  the  card  black,  to  which  the  water  color 
will  not  adhere,  but  flows  to  the  edge  and  stops.     By  this 
outline  method,  beautiful  designs  in  flowers  and  highly  illumi- 
nated effects  can  be  produced.    The  outline  of  the  design  may 
be  used  as  the  guide  for  all  water-color  work  in   lettering 
panels,  floral  designs,  etc.,  although  this  is  not  always  essen- 
tial for  the  latter.    The  wider  this  outline  is  made,  the  easier 
will  be  the  work  of  flowing  on  the  color  evenly,  and  the  less 
the  liability  of  running  over  the  line;  the  fine  outline,  how- 
ever, should  be  used  in  many  places,  especially  for  floral 
designs   and    other  work  where   a  black    outline    does   not 
enhance  the  artistic  merit  of  the  work. 

82.  Shading  With  Water  Colors. —There  is  nothing 
that  will  take  the  place  of  water  colors  for  shading  show- 
cards  either  in  economy  of   time  or  in  convenience.     For 
shading  the  letters,  a  brush  is  used  that  will  as  nearly  as 
possible  make  the  shade  with  one  stroke.     The  camel's-hair 
brush   known  as  the  square  shader  is  best  adapted  to  this 
special  purpose.     Water  color  cannot  be  worked  over,  when 
once  applied,  without  showing  brush  marks;  therefore,  the 
color  must  be  flowed  on  evenly  with  a  quick,  well-directed 
stroke,  using  care  not  to  apply  the  brush  again  over  a  shaded 
part  when  the  excess  water  has  been  absorbed  by  the  card. 

Aside  from  filling  in  letters,  designs,  and  for  shading, 
water  colors  serve  the  purpose  of  ornamenting  the  show- 
card,  being  used  to  tint  borders  and  for  blending.  A  knowl- 
edge of  the  handling  of  water  colors  is,  therefore,  a  necessity 
to  the  card  writer. 


£4  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §1 


LETTERS 


VARIOUS  TREATMENTS 

83.  Black  Letters.  —The  comparative  strength  of  black 
and  white  is  found  to  be  in  favor  of  the  latter.     Nothing  in 
nature  is  pure  white,  nor  is  a  shadow  so  deep  as  to  require 
black  to  represent  it.     We  have  therefore  in  the  use  of  black 
and  white  the  greatest  possible  contrast.     They  may  be  said 
to  balance  evenly  in  the  proportion  of  three-fifths  black  to 
two-fifths  white.     The  reason  for  this  is,  that  black  absorbs 
the  light,  and  therefore  cannot  be  made  neutral  in  combina- 
tion with  white  because  of   their  opposition  to  each  other. 
In  show-card  writing,  black  is  used  mostly  on  white  card- 
board.    It  is  important  for  the  letterer  to  know  that  black 
letters  should  always  be  made  heavy  in  stroke.     Especially 
is  this  true  if  it  be  the  intention  of  the  writer  subsequently 
to  treat  the  face  of  the  letter  with  colors  or  ornamentation 
in  order  to  embellish  it. 

84.  White  Letters.—  White  letters  may  be  placed  on 
black  or  on   any  dark-colored  card.     If   white  lettering  be 
done  with   neatness    and    accuracy  there   is    less    need    for 
shading  or  face   treatment  than  is  necessary  in  the  use  of 
black.     The  stroke  of  a  white  letter  should  be  narrow,  and 
in  fact  a  small  letter  is   always    preferable.      The    student 
should  choose  such  styles,  therefore,  as  the  extremely  light- 
stroke   Egyptian   with    an   almost    indistinct    spur    on    each 
corner  of   the  letter  — which  classifies  it  as  Antique  Egyp- 
tian.    A   Roman  letter  is  also  used;    while  the  letter  best 
adapted,  and   the  one   that  may  be   executed   most  rapidly 
and  present  the  most  artistic  effect,  is  script.     White  letters 
may  be  shaded  or  they  may  be  tinted  on  the  face,  by  either 
making  the  center  or  lower  part  of  the  letter  of  one  or  more 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  55 

tints,  or  by  filling  in  the  entire  letter  with  a  tint,  leaving  a 
white  outline  surrounding  the  letter. 

85.  Colored  Letters. —Colored  letters  may  be  placed 
on  white  or  black  cards  without  regard  to  their  nature  except 
in  reference  to  their  harmony,  which  must  always  be  con- 
sidered.    Colors  should  be  mixed  with  white  when  placed  on 
a  black  surface,  or  such  opaque  colors  as  orange  vermilion 
may  be  used  clear.     On  vermilion  a  transparent  color,  such 
as  crimson  or  scarlet  lake,  may  be  used.     Colored  letters  on 
a  white  card  may  be  opaque  or  transparent,  but  they  should 
invariably  be  made  of  sufficient  strength  to  appear  well  and 
be  easily  read. 

86.  Bronzes. —Gold  and  aluminum  bronzes   are   often 
used  for  lettering,  in  which  case  they  are  mixed  like  paints 
and  are  brushed  on;  after  that,  they  may  be  outlined  with 
white  or  some  bright  color,  such  as  orange  vermilion.    Bronze 
is  often  used  to  outline  letters  or  otherwise  embellish  them. 
If  a  large  panel,  ellipse,  or  disk  be  required,  gilt  or  silver 
paper  may  be  cut  out  and  mounted  on  the  card;  or,  if  bronze 
be  used,  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  employ  some  means  of 
checking  the  natural  absorbing  quality  of  the  card.     Shellac, 
glue,  or  a  quick-drying  varnish  may  be  used  for  this  purpose. 
Give  the  surface   one  or  two  coats,  after  which  a  coat  of 
varnish  size  should  be  applied.     Banana  oil  or  brass  lacquer 
is  used  if  the  bronze  is  to  be  mixed  first  and  then  applied  as 
paint.     If  aluminum  be  required,  make  the  size  by  adding  a 
small  amount  of  white  lead  and  turpentine  to  the  varnish. 
If  gold  or  copper  bronze  be  used,   lemon  yellow  may  be 
added  to  the  former,  and  Indian  red  to  the  latter. 

87.  Flitters,     Metallics,     and     Brocade.  —  Flitters, 
metallics,  and  brocade  are  small  flakes  of  thin  sheet  metal  that 
are  applied  to  a  letter  face  in  order  to  more  highly  illuminate 
the  work.    These  adhere  to  the  letter  by  first  coating  the  part 
with  varnish  where  it  is  desired  to  place  the  metallics. 

88.  Isinglass.  —Crushed  isinglass  is  sometimes  used  on 
white  letters  to  produce  a  sparkling  effect,  especially  when 


56  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

the  letters  are  made  to  represent  ice  or  frost.  In  card  writing 
anything  may  be  resorted  to  that  will  produce  a  novel  effect 
and  serve  to  attract  attention  to  the  show-card  and  so  induce 
the  passer-by  to  pause  and  read  the  inscription. 

89.  Embossed  Letters.— A  bulb  known  as  the  air 
pencil  is  used  to  make  relief  letters,  but  its  use  is  not  espe- 
cially recommended,  for  the  reason  that  sharp  clear-cut  letters 
cannot  be  produced  by  any  mechanical  means.  This,  as  well 
as  Scollay's  relief  bulb,  known  as  the  decorator's  relief  bulb, 
are  convenient  tools  for  any  card  writer  to  possess  for  deco- 
rative and  ornamental  purposes.  Relief  compound,  a  powder 
used  for  this  purpose,  is  mixed  with  water  to  the  consistency 


FIG.  56 

of  thin  putty  and  placed  in  the  bulb.  It  is  then  applied  by 
squeezing  the  bulb,  thereby  pressing  the  mixture  on  the 
surface  of  the  card  through  the  small  tube  or  nozzle  attach- 
ment, as  shown  in  Fig.  56. 

90.  Automatic  Shading  Pen.  —  Perhaps  no  mechanical 
device  for  card  lettering  is  so  serviceable  as  the  shading  pen, 
and  we  therefore  advise  every  student  to  become  familiar 
with  its  use  and  the  various  styles  of  alphabets  best  adapted 
to  it.  These  pens  are  furnished  in  sets  of  six  sizes,  ran- 
ging in  width  of  stroke  from  -fg  inch  to  i  inch.  There  are 
also  six  colors  of  ink  specially  prepared  for  shading  pens, 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


57 


as  follows:  purple,  green,  blue,  crimson,  brown,  and  black. 
The  pen  is  grooved  so  as  to  leave  a  dark  color  at  the  right 
of  the  stroke  and  an  even  light  shade  of  the  same  color  for 


FIG.  57 


the  remainder  of  the  stroke,  as  shown  in  Fig.  57.  The 
automatic  shading  pen  is  convenient  also  for  certain  kinds  of 
ornamenting  in  card  writing. 


MODIFICATIONS     OF    LETTERS 

91.  Limits  of  Eccentric  Letters.  —  It  is  the  constant 
aim  of  the  show-card  writer,  as  well  as  letterers  generally, 
to  produce  an  exaggerated  form  of  a  letter,  or  to  give  to  a 
well-known  style  of  letter  some  new  and  original  character- 
istic.    For  this  reason  letters  are  distorted  into  every  forma- 
tion possible.     This  departure  is  always  allowable  and  even 
commendable  on  the  part  of  the  designer  so  long  as  he  does 
not  depart   from  the  chief  essential  of   lettering;    namely, 
legibility.     If  this  be  attained,  the  matter  of  eccentric  form 
is  of  secondary  consideration. 

92.  Modifications  of  a  Block  Letter.  —  In  illustrating 
the  following  modifications  of  letters  we  will  show  the  nor- 


(a) 


[e] 


(d) 


FIG.  58 


mal  or  regular  letter  and  its  modifications,  as  in  the  example 
given  in  Fig.  58.  (a)  is  the  style  known  as  Full  Block;  (b) 
is  the  Railroad  Block,  in  which  the  horizontal  stroke  is  greatly 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


reduced  and  the  vertical  stroke  increased  in  width.  For 
elongating  there  never  has  been  a  letter  invented  that  may  be 
extended  to  equal  this  style  of  letter,  (c)  and  (d)  show  the 
condensed  forms. 

93.     Modifications  of  the  Egyptian.  —The  same  modi- 
fications appear  in  the  Egyptian  also,  as  shown  in  Fig.  59. 


(a)  represents  the  normal  letter,  (£)  the  elongated,  and 
(c)  the  condensed  form  of  the  letter.  Another  modification 
of  a  letter  exists  in  the  enlarged  or  reduced  size  of  the 
stroke,  as  in  the  Antique  Egyptian  character  &,  shown  in 
Fig.  60.  In  treating  the  modifications  of  letters,  when  the 
size  of  stroke  is  the  principal  alteration  of  the  normal  style, 


(a) 


It) 


FIG.  60 


it  often  becomes  necessary  to  change  the  character  of  the 
letter  to  meet  the  new  conditions  and  give  the  letter  a  sym- 
metrical appearance. 

94.  Letters  That  May  Be  Modified. —Many  letters  in 
the  alphabet  are  not  capable  of  much  change  on  account  of 
their  simplicity,  while  others  may  be  changed  in  several 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


59 


details.  Such  letters  as  a,  r,  d,  e,  g,  h  and  y  of  the  lower 
case  can  be  made  eccentric  to  better  advantage  than  many 
others.  Fig.  61,  beginning  with  the  normal  letter  g,  shows 
a  variety  of  modifications  of  this  letter.  Also,  several  forms 
of  the  letter  d  are  shown  in  Fig.  62  that  illustrate  how,  by 


FIG.  61 


simply  altering  the  curve  of  the  stroke,  the  character  of  the 
letter  is  entirely  changed.  It  would  be  impossible  to  show 
every  modification  of  the  fundamental  styles  of  letters,  as 
these  exceed  800  in  number,  and  can  be  seen  in  a  type-foundry 

dddbd 

FIG.  62 

specimen  book.  The  principles  on  which  these  changes  are 
made  are  comparatively  few  in  number.  It  is  to  these  we 
desire  to  call  the  student's  attention.  The  change  from  the 
normal  letter  occurs  either  in  distorting  the  regular  propor- 
tions of  the  letter,  in  altering  some  detail,  or  by  changing  the 


60 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


character  of  the  letter  in  its  stroke  or  outline.  In  Fig.  63 
several  examples  of  the  latter  change  is  shown.  Instead  of 
the  symmetrical  outline,  (a)  shows  how  this  may  be  utterly 
disregarded,  and  the  serrated  edge  used;  (b)  shows  the 
curved  stroke,  and  (c)  the  ornamental  outline  of  a  letter. 
The  inventive  propensity  of  the  expert  letterer  will  lead  him 
to  create  an  entirely  new  detail  to  a  letter  and  thus  allow 
him  to  add  this  in  a  corresponding  manner  to  other  letters 
that  will  permit  of  its  use.  For  example,  the  cross-bar  in 
the  letter  A  may  be  made  in  the  form  of  a  cyma,  which  may 


also  be  added  to  the  letter  //.  The  letter  A  is  perhaps  sub- 
ject in  a  greater  degree  to  modification  than  many  other 
letters,  although  this  may  not  appear  to  be  so  from  a  first 
glance  at  a  normal  letter.  Without  reference  particularly  to 
the  styles  of  alphabets  to  which  these  belong,  examples  of 
some  of  the  modifications  of  this  letter  are  given  in  Fig.  64. 

95.  Extended  Letters. —  Such  modifications  as  arc 
easily  and  quickly  made  serve  the  purpose  of  the  show-card 
writer.  Freehand  graceful  curves  are,  therefore,  to  be 
sought  after  in  making  letters.  To  this  end  the  letters  may 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


61 


be  extended  above  or  below  an  entire  word.  An  example 
of  this  is  shown  in  Fig.  65.  The  letter  S,  while  it  may  not 
extend  underneath  a  word  when  used  as  a  capital,  yet  the  tail 


FIG.  64 


may  extend  a  great  distance  to  the  left  of  the  body  of  the 
letter  without  distorting  the  effect  of  its  symmetrical  pro- 
portions. When  this  is  done  it  is  always  advisable  to  make 


FIG. 


some  other  modification  that  will  counterbalance  it  in 
appearance,  as  shown  in  Fig.  66.  Fig.  67  also  shows  how  a 
stroke  extending  above  the  line  may  be  counterbalanced  by 


62 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


a  corresponding  stroke  that  may  be  ingeniously  attached  to 
the  final.  Some  finals,  it  is  true,  will  not  permit  of  this 
addition.  In  such  cases,  if  desirable  to  use  some  balancing 


lam. 


FIG.  66 

feature,  it  may  be  done  by  placing  it  in  a  detached  manner 
or  connecting  it  with  some  projecting  letter  in  the  middle 
of  a  word.  

RELIEF   LETTERS 

96.  Block  Shading. —A  letterer  who  is  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  principle  of  shading  may  give  great  variety 
to  his  work  by  introducing  some  exaggerated  form  of  sha- 
ding, such  as  will  bring  out  the  letter  conspicuously.  This 


FIG.  67 


may  be  accomplished  by  representing  letters  cut  out  of  a 
thick  block  and  placed  in  some  position  that  will  cause  them 
to  appear  erect,  inclined,  or  flat,  which  is  done  by  means  of 


FIG.  68 


1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


63 


shading.  There  are  several  ways  in  which  letters  may  be 
shown  in  relief.  Some  artists  drawing  on  their  imagination 
have  placed  letters  on  water  above  a  picturesque  waterfall, 
showing  the  reflection  of  the  letters  in  the  water,  etc.  Such 
ideas,  however,  are  somewhat  chimerical  and  require  more 
labor  and  thought  than  a  practical  show-card  writer  would 
care  to  devote  to  this  subject. 

In  Fig.  68  is  shown  three  examples  of  relief  letters.  From 
these  the  student  may  arrange  letters  in  a  number  of 
positions. 

Another  form  of  relief  shading  is  shown  in  Fig.  69,  in 
which  the  letter  is  made  to  project  from  an  opening  while 


PIG.   69 

the  shade  or  block  appears  to  extend  back  to  a  point  where 
it  is  cut  off  by  a  frame.  The  opening  being  dark  gives  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  strong  contrast  in  coloring  as  well 
as  light  and  shade.  

BEVELING 

97.  Plain  Beveling.  —  When  one  colored  card  is 
mounted  on  another,  which  is  often  done  by  the  card 
writer,  it  greatly  improves  its  appearance  if  the  upper,  or 
even  both  cards  be  beveled  on  the  edge,  instead  of  being 
cut  off  square.  When  beveled,  the  thickness  of  the  card 
is  apparently  increased,  and  the  edge  may  also  be  bronzed 
and  thereby  enrich  the  card  without  causing  much  extra  time 
to  be  given  to  the  work.  The  beveling  is  easily  accom- 
plished even  by  one  who  may  never  have  had  any  experience 
in  this  line  of  work.  It  is  necessary  to  use  a  beveled  iron 
straightedge  for  this  purpose  and  a  sharp-pointed  steel  knife. 


64 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


When  cutting  the  card  the  hand  should  be  maintained  in  a 
uniform  position  that  will  give  an  angle  of  about  45°. 

98.  Ellipses  and  Circles. —For  beveling  cards  in  the 
form  of  an  ellipse  or  circle,  it  is  advisable  that  the  machine, 
made  especially  for  this  purpose,  be  used.     This  will  insure 
a  perfect  and  even  bevel  joining    the   line    with    accuracy. 
These  figures  are  much  used  in  show-card  writing  and  serve, 
in    a  marked  degree,  to   make  the    show-card    artistic    and 
attractive.      It    is   therefore    advisable    that    the    show-card 
writer  possess  the  beveling  machine. 

99.  Fancy  Beveling.  —There  are  several  methods  used 
for  producing  a  deep  bevel,  either  on  the  edge  or  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  card. 

The  beveling  on  the  edge  of  the  card  may  be  done  as 
follows:  Measure  off,  on  the  back  of  the  card,  the  width 
desired  for  the  bevel,  as  shown  in  Fig.  70,  which  should  be 
from  1  inch  to  ll  inches;  then  score  the  card,  by  using  a  dull 


FIG.  70 

knife  that  will  not  cut  through,  but  will  permit  of  bending 
the  edge  to  the  required  angle  without  a  liability  of  break- 
ing the  surface.  To  join  the  corners  accurately,  make  a  pat- 
tern on  a  piece  of  card  by  cutting  out  a  triangular  piece  on 
the  corner  that  will  allow  the  beveled  portion  to  meet  with 
a  perfect  joint  on  the  proper  angle,  shown  in  Fig.  71.  This. 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


65 


r- 


pattern  should  then  be  used  on  all  corners  in  order  to  insure 
a  uniform  and  perfect  bevel.  A  piece  of  tough  paper  should 
be  glued  in  each  corner  in  order  to  hold 
the  bevel  firmly  in  position. 

Another  method,  shown  in  Fig.  72,  used 
in  beveling,  is  to  cut  a  square  or  rectangle 
out  of  the  center  of  the  card,  and  fasten  a 
card  that  has  been  beveled  by  the  fore- 
going process  to  the  back  of  this  opening. 
The  glued  strips  should  in  this  case  be 
placed  on  the  reverse  side  of  the  card,  as 
the  back  of  the  former  card  is  used  as  the  face  when  placed 
in  this  position.  The  bevels  of  the  card  may  be  gilded  or 
silvered  with  bronze,  or  a  gilt  or  silver  paper  may  be 


FIG.  71 


FIG.  72 


mounted  on  the  bevels.  This  beveled  treatment  greatly 
adds  to  the  attractiveness  of  a  show-card  if  proper  regard 
is  paid  to  the  inscription,  design,  combination  of  colors,  etc. 


MOUNTING 

100.  Purpose  and  Methods  of  Mounting.  —There  are 
many  occasions  when  mounting,  if  neatly  done,  may  be 
made  to  deceive  the  eye  and  allow  the  observer  to  believe 
the  work  to  be  done  entirely  by  hand.  A  sketchy  print  may 
be  mounted  on  a  card  and  afterwards  colored,  or  the  card 


66  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

immediately  surrounding  it  ornamented  so  as  to  cover  the 
edge  of  the  mount. 

101.  Photo  Mounting.  —Photographs  are  also  mounted 
on  show-cards,  which  may  be  done  by  the  following  method: 
Place  the  print  in  a  tray  of  clear  water  and  allow  it  to  remain 
long   enough    to    become    thoroughly    soaked;    sponge    the 
card  on  which  the  photo  is  to  be  mounted  with  clear  water 
in    order    that    the    absorbing    quality    of    the   card   will  be 
arrested;  lay  the  photo  face  down  on  a  clean  surface  after  par- 
tially drying;  use  a  sponge  in  applying  paste,  which  should 
be  made  of  gloss  starch  and  free  from  lumps.     Locate  the 
position  the  print  is  to  occupy  on  the  card  by  making  two 
small  triangles  with  a  sharp-pointed  lead  pencil  and  apply 
the  print.     When  this  has  been  laid  on  lightly,  a  clean  piece 
of  thin  paper  should  be  laid  over  the  print  and  rubbed  care- 
fully but  firmly  from  the  center  to  the  edges. 

102.  Mounting  Heavy  Cards.  — It  is  necessary  when 
placing  one  card  on  another  to  use  some  adhesive  that  will 
cling  with  greater  tenacity  than  starch  or  flour  paste.     Ready- 
mixed  glue,  which  may  be  obtained  in  screw-cap  pots,  is  best 
adapted  and  most  convenient  for  this  purpose.     When  mount- 
ing the  card,  it  is  necessary  to  apply  the  glue  to  the  edge  of 
the  card  only.     This  is  not  only  a  saving  of  time  and  material, 
but  prevents  the  liability  of  the  card  from  warping  or  twisting 
when  the  glue  has  dried.     In  mounting  small  cuts  or  thin 
paper,  library  paste  may  be  used. 


MANIFOLDING 

103.  Printing. —When  a  large  number  of  cards  are  to 
bear  one  inscription  or  design,  it  becomes  a  matter  of  econ- 
omy in  time  to  duplicate  them  by  some  other  method  than 
brush  and  hand  work.  To  avoid  the  use  of  printers'  type, 
which  is  recognized  as  such  at  a  glance,  the  work  must  be 
produced  from  a  freehand  design.  The  work  of  printing 
may  be  done  on  a  printing  press,  but  the  preparation  of  the 
form  should  be  done  either  by  the  use  of  a  zinc  etching, 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  67 

wood  engraving,  or  on  a  lithograph  stone.  The  etching  is 
done  on  a  zinc  plate  after  the  same  has  been  covered  with 
two  coats  of  pure  asphaltum  with  a  small  quantity  of  varnish 
added.  When  this  has  dried  sufficiently  the  design  is 
executed  in  the  asphaltum  after  which  the  edges  are  banked 
up  with  a  beeswax  dam.  Nitric  acid  diluted  with  water,  in 
the  proportion  of  one-third  acid  to  two-thirds  water,  is  flowed 
on  the  plate,  which  readily  eats  its  way  into  the  exposed 
zinc  without  affecting  the  asphaltum  resistant.  After  the 
plate  has  been  etched  to  a  depth  of  about  aV  inch,  it  is  thor- 
oughly rinsed  in  clear  water,  the  asphaltum  removed  with 
turpentine,  and,  after  it  has  been  mounted  on  wood,  the  plate 
is  ready  to  be  used  for  printing  purposes.  Wood  engravings 
are  made  on  boxwood  or  hard  maple  by  cutting  away  the 
parts  not  required  in  printing.  This  is  done  by  means  of 
small  gravers  and  chisels.  The  lithograph  stone  is  used  in 
manifolding  by  placing  the  design  on  the  stone  with  a  water- 
color  preparation,  after  wrhich  the  stone  is  etched  and  other- 
wise prepared  for  the  press.  The  design  in  all  cases  is 
placed  on  the  zinc,  wood,  or  stone  in  a  reversed  order  or 
backward  to  that  on  the  printed  card. 

104.  Use  of  Stencils. —For  manifolding  in  show-card 
writing  the  stencil  pattern  very  effectually  fills  this  place, 
and  is  made  to  stencil  either  the  letter  or  the  background. 
The  stencil  for  the  former  purpose  is  made  by  cutting  out  of 
paper  or  other  material  the  greater  portion  of  the  letter,  but 
allowing  parts  called  ties  to  remain,  as  these  tie  the  inside 
of  the  letter  and  parts  likely  to  curl  up  when  in  use.  A 
second  stencil  is  also  required,  which  is  laid  over  the  work 
done  by  the  first  stencil  when  it  has  dried,  thereby  covering 
up  the  spaces  left  by  the  ties,  and  thus  making  a  solid  and 
complete  letter.  The  same  rule  is  observed  in  regard  to  the 
cut  ting-in  stencils,  which  are  used  to  make  the  background, 
and  leave  the  letters  the  original  color  of  the  surface  on 
which  the  color  is  spread.  Large  ties  are  used  for  cutting-in 
stencils,  reaching  from  the  letter  to  the  edge  of  the  stencil 
or  border.  A  second  stencil,  so  cut  as  to  overlap  the  edges 


68 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


of  the  ties,  is  also  used,  thereby  completing  the  entire  back- 
ground, leaving  the  letter  clear  and  distinct. 

105.  Materials  for  Stencils. —The  toughest  medium- 
weight  Manila  paper  should  be  used  for  stencils,  oiled  thor- 
oughly with  boiled  linseed  oil,  and  allowed  to  stand  at  least 
24  hours  before  coating  both  sides  thinly  with  orange  shellac. 
If  a  light  quality    of  fiber  board  is  used,  no  preparation  is 
necessary.     A  sheet  of  glass  laid  on  a  perfectly  even  table 
provides  a  surface  on  which  the  stencil  can  be  cut  with  a 
good  steel  knife  sharpened  to  a  thin  point.     It  is  well  to 
mark    the    ties    with    some    bright   color,   to    avoid    cutting 
through  them,  as  a  single  tie  cut  through  destroys  the  whole 
stencil,  and  an  imperfect  stencil  will  cause  more  bother  in 
its  use  than  it  is  worth.     It  is  best,  therefore,  never  to  use  a 
patched  or  repaired  stencil. 

106.  Cutting    Ijetter   Stencils. —Fig.    73   shows  one 
method  of  cutting  a  stencil;  (a) shows  the  stencil  that  makes 


(c) 


the  body  of  the  letter,  allowing  ties  to  remain  where  most 
strength  is  needed  for  the  preservation  of  the  stencil;  (/>) 
shows  the  stencil  used  to  cover  the  parts  left  in  the  first 
stencil,  and  (c)  shows  the  completed  letter.  When  preparing 
the  stencil  pattern  (a),  cut  two  notches  on  either  end  of 
stencil  pattern  where  shown  by  d,  d.  The  purpose  of  this  is 
to  insure  accuracy  in  placing  the  stencil  (a)  on  the  surface 
of  the  paper  when  preparing  stc'ncil  (b).  This  second  stencil 


- 

S 1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  69 

may  be  made  by  marking  around  the  letter  with  a  sharp- 
pointed  lead  pencil,  or  it  may  be  stenciled  with  a  brush  that 
should  be  almost  free  from  color,  after  which  the  stencil  for 
the  ties  that  were  left  by  the  first  stencil  may  be  cut  out.  By 
using  both  stencils  we  have  the  perfect  letter,  as  shown  at  (c) . 

107.  Background  Stencils.— To  make  stencils  for  a 
background,  everything   is   reversed   from  the  plain   letter 
stencil  just  described.     In  this  stencil  the  letters  must  be 
covered,  and  all  ties  so  cut  as  to  keep  the  letters  firmly  in  posi- 
tion.    If  a  border  is  desired,  we  must  treat  it  just  as  we  would 
a  letter.    The  ties  should  be  cut  wider  on  the  border  edge,  as 
additional  strength  is  gained  where  most  needed  by  doing  so. 
In  making  this  stencil,  it  is  better  to  have  too  many  ties  than 
to  leave  one  place  weak.     There  is   a  great  possibility  of 
leaving  one  or  more  such  places,  especially  in  this  form  of 
stencil.     In  Fig.  74  is  shown  the  two  forms  of  stencil  pattern 
necessary,     (a)  represents  the  pattern  that  stencils  the  body 
of  the  background.     The  lined  portions  indicate  the  parts  cut 
out,  the  letters  and  ties  being  allowed  to  remain,    (b)  shows 
the  stencil  so  cut  as  to  cover  up  the  ties  that  were  left  in  (a), 
the  letter  being  allowed  to  remain  covered  also,  as  in   (a), 
(c)  shows  the  finished  work  and  the  completed  letters.     We 
would  recommend  that  the  student  make  the  plain  as  well 
as   the    background    stencil,  in    order   that  he  may  become 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  subject.    Make  the  letters  shown 
in  Figs.  73  and  74  for  practice  3  or  4  inches  in  height. 

108.  Card  Stenciling. —For  stenciling  on  a  cardboard 
surface,  a  color  should  be  used  that  is  free  from  oil.     Coach 
black  ground  in  japan  is  the  best  black  to  use.     Colors  should 
be  mixed  with  a  slow-drying  varnish.    If  an  oil  color  be  used, 
the  oil  is  absorbed  by  the  card  and  spreads  beyond  the  edge 
of  the  letter,  leaving  a  yellow  streak  surrounding  the  letter. 

Card  signs  that  have  been  stenciled  may  be  relieved  by  a 
few  touches  of  hand  work  and  made  to  present  a  very  artistic 
appearance,  either  by  shading  or  ornamenting  with  some 
bright  color.  The  letter  may  be  outlined  with  gold  bronze  or 
red,  entirely  covering  all  traces  of  a  stenciled  effect. 


70 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


§1 


(a) 


\ 


(c) 
FIG.  74 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


71 


STORE  AN13  WINDOW    SIGNS 


INTERIOR    SIGNS 

109.  Store     Banners.  —  The    progressive    show-card 
writer    should    be    capable  of    preparing   every   manner  of 
announcement    sign   used   in    the    store    or  window.     Such 
work  as  gold  lettering  on  windows,  board,  or  other  outside 
signs  are  necessarily  outside  the  province  of  the  card  writer, 
and  are  therefore  not  considered  in  this  Course.     These  sub- 
jects are  fully  treated  in 

the  Course  on  Lettering 
and  Sign  Painting.  All 
signs  that  are  made  on 
paper  or  cardboard  will  be 
prepared  by  the  show-card 
writer,  and,  besides  these, 
enameled  cloth  and  ordi- 
nary cotton-sheeting  let- 
tering may  not  be  con- 
sidered outside  of  his 
province. 

110.  Wall  Banners. 

Store  banners  are  much 
used  for  permanent  in- 
scriptions either  to  direct 
the  customer  to  different 
departments  or  to  utilize 
wall  space  with  attractive 
signs  that  will  bear  some 
suitable  motto  or  appro- 
priate inscription.  These 
signs  are  often  prepared 
in  the  form  of  a  banner 
and  are  stayed  on  the  back  with  a  thin  strip  of  wood  at 
the  top  and  bottom  of  the  card.  Window-curtain  fixtures 
and  other  inexpensive  and  available  material,  such  as  rings, 


FIG.  75 


72 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


1 


poles,  tassels,  and  trimmings,  are  used  for  these  banners. 
The  bullion  fringe  used  on  silk  banners  is  represented  with 
gold  color,  shaded  with  burnt  sienna.  A  detailed  sketch  of 
this  banner  is  given  in  Fig.  75.  a  represents  the  body  of  the 
banner  on  which  the  chief  portion  of  the  inscription  is  placed; 
b  the  hood,  a  very  appropriate  place  to  put  the  name  of  the 
firm;  c  shows  where  the  fringe  is  usually  placed  on  the 
banner.  If  a  banner  is  to  be  placed  on  a  white  wall  it  is 
desirable  to  have  the  body  of  cream  or  some  light  color, 
while  the  hood  should  be  a  dark  color.  For  example, 
if  cream  or  gold  color  be  used  for  a,  the  hood  b  should 
be  a  dark  blue. 

111.     Combination    Metal    and    Card    Banners.— A 

banner  that  is  used  in  our  leading  stores   at   present    is   a 


FIG.  76 


brass  frame,  silver  plated,  with  a  slot  in  one  end  through 
which  a  card  may  be  slid  into  place.  This  is  projected  from 
a  column,  window  sash,  casement,  or  other  convenient  object 
by  an  artistic  ironwork  design,  shown  in  Fig.  76. 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  73 


OUTSIDE    SIGNS 

112.  White  Enameled-Cloth  Signs.  —  It  is  often  desir- 
able that  a  bulletin  or  other  announcement  be  hung  outside 
the  store  window,  in  which  case  cardboard  could  not  be  used, 
for  the  reason  that  it  would  not  withstand  moisture,  either 
rain  or  snow,  and  therefore  some  other  material  that  will 
serve  the  purpose  must  be  used.  This  is  found  in  enameled 
cloth,  which  is  white,  glossy,  and  durable.  Show-card  black 
and  varnish  colors  may  be  used  to  letter  on  this  surface. 
It  is  well  to  sponge  over  the  surface  with  benzine  before 
marking  or  lettering  on  enameled  cloth,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  color  from  creeping,  which  means  that  the  color  will  not 
remain  always  where  applied,  but  will  leave  a  straight  line 
and  become  an  irregular  and  broken  outline,  causing  much 
annoyance  to  the  letterer.  When  enameled  cloth  is  used  for 
an  outside  sign,  a  frame  is  usually  constructed  of  strips  of 
wood  strong  enough  only  to  allow  the  cloth  to  be  stretched 
over  the  frame  without  bending.  To  prevent  the  possibility 
of  this,  which  is  inevitable  if  the  sign  be  a  long  one,  cross- 
strips  should  be  placed  far  enough  apart  to  give  the  required 
strength.  The  cloth  is  then  drawn  over  the  edge  and  tacked 
securely,  or  it  may  be  tacked  on  the  back  of  the  frame,  which 
is  preferable  when  a  better  finish  is  desired,  for  in  the  latter 
case  the  tacks  are  not  seen.  If  the  following  directions  be 
observed,  the  student  will  have  no  difficulty  in  stretching  the 
cloth  on  the  frame  without  wrinkling:  Lay  the  frame  on  the 
cloth  and  cut  the  cloth,  allowing  a  margin  that  will  lap  over 
the  edge  and  giving  an  additional  width  for  tacks.  Do  not 
begin  to  tack  from  the  corners  to  the  center  of  the  frame,  but 
always  from  the  center  of  the  frame  to  the  corners,  stretching 
the  cloth  from  the  opposite  side,  and  at  the  same  time  drawing 
it  toward  the  corner.  After  four  tacks  have  been  temporarily 
driven  in  all  four  sides,  continue  the  tacking  by  putting  not 
more  than  two  tacks  on  either  side  of  the  center  at  a  time, 
which  will  serve  to  hold  the  cloth  and  withstand  the  strain 
put  on  it  when  tacking  the  opposite  side.  Endeavor  as 
nearly  as  possible  to  reach  the  corners  of  the  sign  at  the 


74  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

same  time;  in  other  words,  do  not  tack  one  entire  side  before 
another,  as  this  will  invariably  cause  wrinkles. 

113.  Sheeting     Signs. —Special     announcements     are 
often  made  on  material  that  is  cheaper  than  enameled  cloth, 
more   quickly  lettered,   and   less   permanent  in  appearance. 
For  this   style   of   sign,   common   cotton   sheeting   is   used. 
Another  advantage  in  using  sheeting  is  that  several  narrow 
widths  may  be  sewed  together,   and  thus  a  sign  of  large 
proportions  is  quickly  and  cheaply  produced.     To  letter  on 
cotton   sheeting,  use    the    best   lampblack.     Mix    this    with 
copal  varnish  and  thin  with  gasoline  to  the  consistency  of 
cream.     Apply  the  black  with  a  flat  camel's-hair  brush  1  inch 
wide.     The    inscription  is   marked    on   the    cloth    by  using 
charcoal.     The  lines   are  snapped   on  with  a  string  that  is 
charged  with  charcoal.     After  lettering  the  cloth,  the  char- 
coal marks  may  easily  be  dusted  off  the  surface  when  the 
black  has  thoroughly  dried. 

114.  Show-Card  Transparencies.  —The  advent  of  thin 
celluloid  sheets  has  developed  a  new  use  of  the  show-card, 
namely,  a  window  transparency.     A  fancy  panel  is  usually 
cut  out  of  the  center  of  the  card,  and  the  celluloid  sheet,  of 
some  brilliant  color,  is  fastened  with  glue  on  the  back  of  the 
card.     The  portion  of  the  inscription  of  special  importance 
is    reserved  for  this   opening.     This   style  of  show-card  is 
suspended  with  an  incandescent  lamp  directly  behind  it,  pro- 
ducing a  sign  that  may  be  read  in  the  evening  as  well  as 
in  the  daytime;  it  is  especially  attractive  by  lamplight.     To 
letter  on  celluloid,  use  a  solid  varnish  black  that  will  make 
the  letter  opaque  and  serve  as  a  base.     After  this  has  dried, 
the  center  of  the  letter  may  be  filled  in  with  gold  or  alumi- 
num bronze  (penciled  on),  leaving  a  blank  outline  surround- 
ing the  entire  letter.     The  remainder  of  the   show-card  is 
lettered  as  usual,   surrounding  the  panel  with   appropriate 
lining  or  ornamentation. 

115.  >Vin<lo\v     Transparencies.—  Another     form     of 
transparency  that  may  be  prepared  by  the  show-card  writer 
is  the  transparent  window  sign.     This  sign  is  designed  to 


§1 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


75 


extend  across  the  entire  width  of  the  window,  the  width  of 
the  sign  being  governed  by  the  size  of  letter  and  the  inscrip- 
tion. Heavy  Manila  paper  is  used  for  this  purpose,  and  it 
should  be  well  coated  with  some  dark  color  or  it  may  be 
used  without  any  preparation.  The  letters  should  be  cut  out 
and  a  bright  colored  tissue  paper  pasted  on  the  back  of  the 
sign,  entirely  covering,  with  one  thickness  of  the  paper,  all 
openings  or  letters.  The  inside  portions  of  such  letters  as 
A,  B,  D,  O,  R,  etc.  are  then  fastened  in  their  proper  places, 
pasting  these  on  the  tissue  paper.  A  heavy  line  of  black 
surrounding  each  letter,  placed  on  the  Manila  paper,  will  give 
strength  where  needed  and  make  an  attractive  sign  in  day- 
light as  well  as  in  the  evening.  If  the  ground  be  dark,  a 
heavy  line  of  bronze  may  be  substituted  for  the  black. 

116.  Card  Electric  Signs.— Many  very  artistic  and 
attractive  signs  may  be  made  of  cardboard  and  illuminated 
with  special  2-inch  globular  incandescent  electric  lamps. 
These  signs  are  not  only  attrac- 
tive in  the  window  display,  but 
are  used  also  for  interior  deco- 
rating. The  letters  are  cut  out 
of  heavy  white  cardboard  for 
this  style  of  sign.  The  edge  of 
the  letter  is  covered  with  a 
heavy  stripe  of  bronze,  inside 
of  which  is  worked  a  stripe  of 
black.  The  lamps  are  then 
placed  at  intervals  that  will 
show  the  letter  almost  inde- 
pendently of  the  cardboard. 
The  proper  number  of  lamps 
that  should  be  used  is  shown  in 

Fig.  77.  The  framework  used  to  hold  the  letters  together 
should  be  1-inch  iron  rods,  and  painted  black  or  some  color 
that  will  not  cause  the  attention  to  be  called  to  this  part  of 
the  sign.  The  rods  connecting  the  frame  and  strengthening 
it,  with  the  exception  of  the  ends,  should  be  flattened  on 


FIG. 


76  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

either  end  and  looped,  allowing  the  top  and  bottom  rod  to 
pass  through  it,  thus  making  them  adjustable.  They  may 
then  be  placed  to  the  back  of  a  letter.  These  signs  may  be 
made  suitable  to  every  season  by  supplying  the  required 
number  of  lamps  or  cutting  out  the  surplus. 

Revolving-wheel  flash  signs  and  stationary  flash  signs  are 
thus  easily  constructed  if  the  show-card  writer  possesses  the 
"spark  of  genius"  necessary. 

117.     Mechanical    Devices    in  Window    Lettering. 

There  are  almost  numberless  contrivances  and  devices  that 
will  give  the  card  writer  an  opportunity  to  continually 
display  novelties  in  arrangement,  or  to  make  new  and 
attractive  windows.  Cardboard  may  be  used  for  arches, 
round  or  square  pillars,  etc.,  on  which  lettering  may  be  placed. 
Grilles  and  other  openwork  may  be  made  by  cutting  out  the 


parts,  leaving  the  design.  Among  the  novelties  in  show-cards 
is  that  which  may  be  constructed  to  read  differently  from  three 
directions.  This  sign  is  made  as  follows:  Glue  strips  on 
the  four  edges  of  a  card  that  will  make  a  tray  about  li  inches 
in  depth.  On  a  card  li  times  the  length  of  the  tray,  minus 
H  inches,  the  width  of  one  strip,  letter  the  desired  inscrip- 
tion, which  should  be  of  large  bold  letters.  Letter  the  reverse 
side  of  the  card  also;  cut  this  into  la-inch  strips.  Letter  the 
inside  of  the  tray,  after  which  the  strips  may  be  glued  in 
position  1  inch  apart.  The  sign  is  then  complete,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  78,  (a)  showing  the  front,  (b)  the  left,  and  (c)  the 
right  view. 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


CARD    HANGERS 

118.  Eyelets.— To  suspend  a  show-card  it  is  necessary 
that  an  eyelet  be  affixed  to  the  back  of  the  card.  This  may 
be  attached  without  marring  its  face,  or  a  small  hole  may  be 
punched  in  the  margin  and  a  metal  eyelet  inserted  that  will 
prevent  the  string  from  tearing 
through  the  margin.  The  gummed 
eyelet  shown  in  Fig.  79  is  used 
for  the  back  of  the  card  and  may 
be  obtained  at  a  stationer's  in 
gross  quantities.  To  insert  metal 
eyelets,  it  is  necessary  to  use  a 

FTP    7Q 

small  combination  hand  punch  and 

set,  that  will  not  only  cut  the  hole  the  required  size  but 
firmly  set  the  eyelet  by  upsetting  the  obverse  end  so  as  to 
clench  it  into  the  card.  The  eyelet  known  as  the  B  skirt 
eyelet  is  used  for  this  purpose.  These  are  put  up  in  boxes 
of  1,000  each.  They  have  a  burnished  silver  finish  and  are 
therefore  not  detrimental  to  the  appearance  of  the  card. 


PUNCTUATION 

119.  Importance  of   the  Subject. —There  is  seldom 
sufficient   attention  paid   to    this    important   subject    among 
letterers,  as  may  be  observed  by  an  inspection  of  the  card 
signs   in   almost   any  show  window.       Were   the  show-card 
writer    to  realize   to  what  extent  a  well-executed  piece   of 
work  is  often  marred  by  improper  punctuation,  he  would  not 
consider  the  time  wasted  that  might  be  devoted  to  acquiring 
a  full  knowledge  of  this  subject. 

120.  Origin  of  the  Possessive   Symbol.  —The  apos- 
trophe is  frequently  misplaced  in  the  plural  possessive  case. 
To  fully  understand  the  rule  governing  the  possessive  case 
and  the  origin  of  the  mark  used  to  denote  possession,  we 
should  first  know  that  the  apostrophe  is  used  to  indicate  that 
something  has  been  omitted.     If  we  should  look  on  the  fly 


78  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

leaf  of  some  very  old  book,  we  would  see  the  name  of  the 
owner,  for  example,  "John  Smith,"  and  underneath,  the 
words  "his  book,"  which  was  the  early  form  of  expressing 
the  possessive.  Later,  it  became  a  custom  to  contract  the 
name  and  article  possessed  — thus,  "John  Smith's  book"- 
and  to  insert  the  apostrophe  to  indicate  that  the  his  was 
omitted.  By  bearing  in  mind  this  simple  custom,  one  can 
always  locate  the  proper  place  for  the  apostrophe,  according 
to  the  location  of  the  pronoun.  To  further  illustrate,  take, 
for  example,  the  words  "men's  and  boys'  clothing."  To 
use  the  method  of  our  ancestors  we  would  express  it,  "men 
and  boys,  their  clothing."  According  to  the  rule,  the  apos- 
trophe and  final  s  should  be  substituted  for  the  pronoun, 
making  the  phrase  read  "men's  and  boys'  clothing."  Thus, 
the  letter  s  would  not  be  necessary  after  the  apostrophe  in 
the  word  men's,  as  the  pronoun  their,  which  has  no  final  s,  is 
used;  but  for  euphony,  or  to  obviate  harshness  of  sound,  the 
s  is  often  added  after  many  words, .and  also  omitted  from 
words  ending  with  s  for  the  same  reason. 


RULES  FOR  PUNCTUATION 

121.  The    period    is    put    at   the    end  of   every  word, 
phrase,  or  sentence  that  is  complete  by  itself,  and  not  inter- 
rogative or  exclamatory.     It  is  also  placed  after  all  abbre- 
viations. 

Quit  yourselves  like  men.     The  M.  D.  addressed  his  letter  to  James 
Howard,  LL.  D. 

122.  The  colon  is  an  intermediate  point  between    the 
semicolon  and  the  period,  and  is  used  as  follows: 

1.  After  words    that   promise  a  series  or  statement  of 
something  important. 

His  accomplishments,  he  said,  were  not  many:  a  stout  heart,  a  firm 
resolve,  and  — fifty  cents. 

2.  Before  an  important  remark  added  to  a  sentence,  espe- 
cially when  it  sums  up  the  sentence,  or  presents  the  meaning 
in  another  form. 


§  1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  79 

Avoid   evil    doers:    in   such   society   an  honest   man    may    become 
ashamed  of  himself. 

123.  The  semicolon  is  used  to  separate  clauses    that 
are    themselves    divided   by    the    comma,  or  that  require  a 
point  greater  than  a  comma  and  less  than  a  colon;  or  to 
separate  the  parts  of  a  loose  series. 

He  was  courteous,  not  cringing,  to  superiors;  affable,  not  familiar, 
to  equals;  and  kind,  but  not  condescending  or  supercilious,  to  inferiors. 

124.  The  comma  is  the  most  frequently  used  of  all  the 
punctuation  marks.     The  chief  purposes  for  which  it  is  used 
are  the  following: 

1.  To  separate  terms  of  a  closely  related  series,  or  two 
such  terms  when  the  connective  is  omitted. 

Hedges,  groves,  gardens. 

It  was  a  dark,  desolate  region. 

2.  To  separate  terms  that  are  contrasted  or  otherwise  dis- 
tinguished, and  terms  of  which  a  part  in  one  might  be  referred 
improperly  to  the  other. 

He  is  poor,  but  honest. 

3.  To   set  off  a  word,  phrase,  or  clause   that  is  paren- 
thetic, or  that  comes  between  other  parts  and  breaks  their 
connection. 

You  will  then,  however,  be  in  no  better  condition. 

4.  To  set  off  a  modifying  word,  phrase,  or  clause  that  is 
not    closely   connected    with    what    it    modifies,    or    that    is 
removed  from  it  by  inversion. 

Behold   the  emblem  of  thy  state  in  flowers,  which  bloom  and  die. 
By  Americans  generally,  the  hero  of  the  Battle  of  Manila  Bay  is  beloved. 

5.  To  set  off  words  or   phrases   used   independently  or 
absolutely. 

Ristalfo,  give  me  what  is  mine,  and  that  right  quickly. 

6.  To  separate  the  predicate  from  its  subject,  when  the 
subject  is  very  long,  and  has  a  clause,  or  consists  of  punctu- 
ated parts. 

The  fact  that  he  is  allowed   to  go  unpunished,   makes  him   more 
insolent  than  ever. 


80  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  §  1 

7.  To  separate  clauses  that  are  neither  very  closely  nor 
very  loosely  connected. 

There  mountains  rise,  and  circling  rivers  flow. 

8.  Short  simple  sentences  or  clauses  seldom  require  a 
point  within  them;  and  phrases  or  clauses  that  stand  in  close 
connection  with  that  on  which  they  depend  seldom  require  a 
point  before  them. 

Tell  me  when  it  was  that  you  saw  him  after  he  returned. 

125.  The  interrogation  point   is   placed  after   every 
complete  direct  question,  whether  it  forms  a  complete  sen- 
tence or  only  a  part  of  a  sentence. 

What  mean'st  thou  by  that?    Mend  me,  thou  saucy  fellow? 

— Julius  CfZ'sar. 

126.  The  exclamation  point  is  placed  after  a  word, 
phrase,   clause,   or  sentence   that    indicates    great    surprise, 
grief,  joy,  or  other  emotion  in  the  speaker. 

Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin!     Woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida! 

127.  The     dash,     is    chiefly    used    for    the    following 
purposes: 

1.  To  show  omission  caused  by  interruption. 

Cassius.  Yet  I  fear  him: 

For  in  the  ingrafted  love  he  bears  to 

Caesar— 
Brutus.     Alas!  good  Cassius,  do  not  think  of  him. 

2.  To  show  emphasis  or  suppressed  feeling,  or  to  show 
an  unexpected  turn  in  thought  or  style. 

Heaven  gives  to  its  f a vo rites  —  early  death. 

3.  To    set    off    a   parenthetical    phrase,   especially  when 
emphatic  or  when  there  are  other  points  within  it. 

To  render  the  Constitution  perpetual  — which  God  grant  it  may  be  — 
it  is  necessary  that  its  benefits  should  be  practically  felt  by  all  parts  of 
the  country.  —  D.  Webster. 

4.  Before  echoes,  or  where  the  words  that  is  or  namely 
are  understood. 

The  four  greatest  names  in  English  poetry  are  almost  the  first  \\r 
come  to  — Chaucer,  Spencer,  Shakespeare,  and  Milton. 


§1  SHOW-CARD  WRITING  81 

128.  The  parenthesis   is  used  to   enclose  some   inci- 
dental remark  or  explanation  that  breaks   the  regular  con- 
struction of  the  sentence  and  can  be  omitted  without  injuring 
the  grammatical  sense. 

Know  then  this  truth  (enough  for  man  to  know) , 
Virtue  alone  is  happiness  below .  —  Pope . 

129.  Quotation    marks    are    used    to    enclose    words 
taken  from  the  saying  or  writing  of  another  person. 

The  doctor  made  the  sage  remark,  "while  there's  life,  there's  hope." 

130.  The  apostrophe  is  used  to  denote  the  omission 
of  one  or  more  letters. 

'Tis  pleasant,  sure,  to  see  one!s  name  in  print; 
A  book's  a  book,  although  there's  nothing  in  't. 

-Chatterton. 

131.  The    hyphen   (-)   is  used  (1)   at   the    close   of   a 
syllable  that  ends   a  line  when  the  remaining  part  of  the 
word  must  be  carried  to  the  next  line;   (2)  to  join  the  parts 
of  compound  words. 

132.  The  ditto  marks  (")  are  used  to  avoid  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  word  or  expression  directly  above  them. 

133.  The  underscore  is  a  line  drawn  under  words  in 
manuscript  or  copy  to  give  them  special  emphasis,  showing 
that  they  are   to   be   printed  in  Italic   or  capitals,  one  line 
denoting  Italic,  two  lines  denoting  small  capitals,  and  three 
lines  large  capitals. 


SHOW-CARD   DESIGN  AND 
ORNAMENT 


(PART    1) 


INTRODUCTION 

1.  Application  of  Design  to  Show-Card  Writing. 
Designing,  as  applied  to  show-card  writing,  includes  many 
forms  of  treatment,  and  therefore  covers  a  broad  field  of 
study.  It  has  its  beginning  when  the  letterer,  in  the  slight- 
est degree,  departs  from  a  straight  line  in  the  arrangement 
of  his  inscription,  or  from  a  perfectly  plain  background  on 
which  he  is  to  place  an  inscription.  It  consists  of  a  number 
of  general  rules  and  established  forms  that  serve  as  a  founda- 
tion for  the  building  of  new  and  original  ideas.  Unless  the 
show-card  writer  possesses  some  knowledge  of  the  subject 
of  design,  his  ability  is  limited  to  a  mere  knowledge  of  the 
proper  formation  of  letters  and  their  arrangement  into  words. 

Designing  will  ever  be  an  art  that,  aside  from  general 
fundamental  rules,  involves  the  faculty  of  the  artist  for  pro- 
ducing original  conceptions  and  combinations.  In  its  high- 
est and  most  classical  form  the  character  of  its  composition 
follows  the  style  of  some  recognized  historic  period  or 
school  of  architecture.  The  show-card  writer's  require- 
ments however  are  seldom  of  so  classical  a  nature.  There- 
fore, in  the  following  pages,  only  the  elementary  composition 
of  designing  is  considered.  Originality  must  be  developed 
by  the  student,  for  it  is  impossible  for  a  teacher  to  impart 
knowledge  to  a  student  that  will  aid  him  after  entering  on 
this  ground. 

For  notice  of  copyright,  see  page  immediately  following  the  title  Page 
82 


2  SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

2.  Ornament. —The  subject  of  ornament  likewise  is 
treated  from  a  practical  standpoint,  in  order  that  the  instruc- 
tion may  be  of  the  most  profitable  nature  to  the  beginner. 
Were  we  to  prescribe  certain  styles  of  ornament  to  be  used 
exclusively  on  each  particular  kind  of  work,  the  student 
would  soon  find  himself  relying-  on  the  ability  of  others 
rather  than  on  his  own.  The  instruction,  for  this  reason, 
treats  on  the  various  styles  of  ornament,  and  the  forms  best 
adapted  to  the  card-writer's  requirements.  The  student  must 
then  learn  to  make  a  practical  application  of  these  styles  by 
suiting  them  to  his  requirements. 


ELEMENTS   OF    DESIGN 


SIMPLE    FIGURES 

3.  Lines  and  Curves. —Aside  from   a  straight  line,  a 
curved   line  may  be  said  to  be  the  first  step  in  designing. 
There   are,  however,   several  ways  of  placing  letters  on  a 
straight  line;  these  may  be  vertical,  inclined  to  the  right  or 
left,  or  they  may  radiate  from  a  point  above  or  below  the 
line,  as  explained  in  Show-Card  Writing,  and  shown  in  Plate, 
Title:  Elementary  Lines. 

4.  A  curved  line,    or   a   curve,    is   a   line  no   part  of 
which  is  straight;  it  may  be  imagined  to  be  formed  by  the 
bending  of  a  straight  line.    Any  portion  of  a  curve  is  called 
an  arc. 

5.  A  circular  arc  is  any  part  of  a  circumference.    Cir- 
cular arcs  having  the   same  center,  but  different  radii,  are 
called  parallel  arcs.     They  are  inside  one  another.     They 
are  also  called  concentric,  which  means  with  the  same  center. 

6.  When  .three  words  or  lines    of    letters    of    suitable 
length  are  used  in   an  inscription,  the  card  writer  often  so 
arranges  them  that  the  top  and  bottom  lines  of  letters  are 
made    to    stand   on   curved    lines.     The   center   line   being 


§2         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


straight  and  the  top  and  bottom  lines  curved  in  opposite 
directions  away  from  the  center  line,  as  shown  in  Fig1.  1. 
To  draw  concentric  lines,  the  letterer  usually  relies  on  the 
following  simple  method:  First  ascertain  the  exact  center 
of  the  card;  make  a  small  loop  in  a  piece  of  hemp  twine, 
sufficiently  large  to  admit  of  passing  the  point  of  a  lead 


CARPETS 


FIG.  1 

pencil  through  it;  then,  from  a  point  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
card  as  a  center,  describe  an  arc,  using  the  finger  to  hold  the 
string  in  place.  Let  the  string  slip  beneath  the  finger  in 
order  to  draw  several  parallel  curves.  Letters  are  placed 
on  a  plain  curve  either  vertically  or  on  lines  radiating  from  a 
point  called  the  focus. 

7.  A  circle  is  a  closed  figure,  all  points  of 
whose  outline  are  at  the  same  distance  from 
a  point  within  called  the  center^  Fig.  2.  The 
term  circle  is  applied  both  to  the  curved  out- 
line of  the  figure  and  to  the  space  enclosed  by 
it;  but  the  curved  outline  is  more  commonly 
called  the  circumference  of  the  circle. 


8.  Radius  and  Diameter.  —The  distance  from  the  cen- 
ter of  a  circle  to  any  point  on  the  circumference  is  called  the 
radius  of  the  circle. 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 


A  line  through  the  center  of  a  circle,  and  having  its  ends 
on  the  circumference,  is  called  a  diameter.      In  Fig.  3,  O  is 
the  center  of  the  circle,  OB,  O  D,  O  A, 
and   OC  are    radii,  AB   and    CD   are 
diameters. 

Every  diameter  is  equal  to  two  radii, 
and  divides  the  circle  into  two  equal 
parts,  or  semicircles,  and  the  circumfer- 
ence into  two  semi-circumferences. 

Two  diameters  perpendicular  to  each 
FlG-  3  other,  as  A  B  and  CD,  divide  the  circum- 

ference into  four  equal  parts  called  quadrants. 


THE    ELLIPSE 

9.     Methods   of    Describing  an  Ellipse. —There    are 

many  ways  of  making,  or  describing,  an  ellipse,  some  of 
which  are  quite  complicated.  For  designing  purposes, 
exclusive  of  architectural  work,  a  knowledge  of  two  or  three 
methods  will  serve  every  purpose.  The  simplest  method  is 
by  means  of  two  tacks  and 
a  string.  Draw  a  horizon- 
tal line  and  erect  a  perpen- 
dicular bisecting  it;  point 
off  on  the  horizontal  line 
the  length  of  ellipse  de- 
sired, proceeding  from  the 
perpendicular  equal  dis- 
tances to  the  right  and  left; 
divide  the  horizontal  line, 
from  these  points  to  the 
vertical,  into  four  equal 

parts;  fix  tacks  on  the  third  point  from  the  vertical  on  either 
side;  tie  a  string  around  both  tacks,  and  fasten  the  ends 
together  at  one  of  the  points  farthest  from  the  vertical  on 
the  horizontal  line;  place  lead  pencil  inside  and  follow 
around,  and  a  perfect  ellipse  will  be  the  result,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  4.  The  ellipse  may  be  elongated  by  moving  the  tacks 


FIG.  4 


§2 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


FIG.  5 


farther  away  from  the  vertical,  or  it  may  be  widened  by 
moving  the  tacks  closer  to  the  vertical. 

10.  To  draw  the  ellipse  shown  in  Fig.  5,  construct  two 
squares  and  draw  lines  from  the  corners  intersecting  in  the 
center  of  each  square;  from  this  point  of  intersection,  describe 

arcs,  with  compass,  from  a 
to  b\  from  the  points  c,  de- 
scribe upper  and  lower  lines, 
from  a  to  a  and  b  to  b. 

11.  Another  simple 
method  of  constructing  the 
ellipse  is  as  follows:  De- 
scribe two  tangent  circles, 
such  that  the  sum  of  their 
diameters  shall  represent 
the  length  of  the  ellipse 
and  draw  a  horizontal  line  through  the  centers  of  both  circles, 
as  in  Fig.  6;  divide  each 
semicircle  into  three  equal 
parts,  as  at  a,  a,  a,  a,  and 
draw  a  line  from  each  divi- 
ding point  through  the  cen- 
ter of  each  circle,  meeting 
at  the  points  b;  from  these 
points  describe  curves 
from  a  to  a,  top  and  bottom, 
and  the  resulting  figure 
will  be  an  approximate  el- 
lipse. The  ellipse  is  some- 
times spoken  of  as  an  oval. 

As  applied  to  an  ellipse  the  word  oval  is  a  misnomer. 
The  word  oval  comes  from  the  Latin  word  ovum,  meaning  an 
egg;  the  shape  of  the  oval,  then,  is  that  of  the  outline  of  an 
egg.  To  speak  of  an  egg-shaped  oval,  therefore,  is  an 
absurdity,  and  no  more  sensible  than  to  speak  of  a  circle  as 
a  round  circle. 


FIG.  6 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §  2 


THE  PANEL 


ITS    USE    IN    DESIGNING 

12.  The     Rectangle. —The    elaborate    panel    has    its 
beginning  in  the  plain  figure  called  a  rectangle,  shown   in 
Fig.    7,    a    four-sided    figure    having   only    right    angles;    a 

right-angled  parallelogram. 
From  this  beginning,  lines  are 
added  until  the  panel  becomes 
a  work  of  art.  It  is  not  essential 
that  this  growth  be  considered 
step  by  step,  but  every  detail  that  marks  the  transition  from 
the  rectangle  to  the  elaborate  panel  finally  used  as  a  design 
will  be  contained  in  the  examples  given. 

13.  Panel   Ends.— We  will   first  call   attention   to   the 
methods  of  finishing  the  end  of  the  panel.     Fig.  8  (a)  shows 
a  perfectly  plain  panel  and  its  plain  outline;    (fr)  shows  a 


FIG.  7 


(a) 


FIG.  8 

plain  panel,  the  outside  of  which  is  slightly  ornamental; 
(c)  represents  an  ornamental  inner  panel,  while  the  outside 
is  perfectly  plain;  (d)  is  an  example  of  an  ornamental  out- 
line, with  the  ends  of  the  inner  panel  finished  as  a  scroll,  or 
in  imitation  of  a  ribbon. 

14.  Combination  Panels. —Two  panels  of  entirely 
different  shape  and  character  are  often  used  in  designing; 
the  one  in  the  foreground  is  made  to  bear  the  inscription, 


§2         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT  7 

while  that  in  the  background  is  given  less  prominence. 
In  Fig.  9  (a),  a  diamond-shaped  panel  is  used  as  the  one 
on  which  the  inscription  should  be  placed;  (b)  represents 


FIG.  10 


FIG.  11 


s 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


the  panel  on  which  the  body  of  the  lettering-  should  be 
placed,  while  the  shield  or  upper  panel  of  this  design  may 
also  be  used  for  a  trade  mark,  price  mark,  or  other  purpose. 
In  dealing  with  the  panel  for  designing  purposes,  the  nature 
and  importance  of  the  inscription  must  be  considered.  The 
interior  panel  may  be  made  extremely  ornamental,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  10,  or  the  reverse  may  obtain,  and  the  entire  attention 
may  be  given  to  elaborating  the  surroundings  of  the  panel, 
as  in  Fig.  11,  which  illustrates  a  plain  panel  surrounded  by 
an  ornamental  design. 

15.  Part  Panels.— Another  form  of  panel  is  that  which 
is  combined  with  some  other  design,  in  which  the  panel  is 
not  in  the  foreground.  When  the  panel  is  left  unfinished  on 
one  end,  as  in  Fig.  12,  it  is  known  as  a  part  panel  and 
many  beautiful  effects  can  be  produced  by  its  use.  In  this 


FIG.  12 

style  of  panel  the  damask  principle  may  be  used,  the  panel 
being  blended  into  the  ground  by  using  the  lettering  brush 
or  by  stippling  with  the  end  of  a  stiff  hair  brush.  The 
lettering  is  also  blended;  the  extreme  of  light  color  is  thus 
contrasted  against  the  darkest  part  of  the  panel,  and  the 
dark  lettering  is  continued  on  the  light  ground  outside  of 
the  panel.  This  principle  illustrates  one  of  the  essential 
elements  in  designing;  namely,  to  make  the  strongest  lights 
come  directly  in  contact  with  the  darkest  shades.  If  several 
shades  of  equal  strength  are  combined  in  a  design,  the 
tendency  is  to  weaken  the  general  effect. 


PIG.  14 


FIG.  15 


§2         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT  9 

16.  Rococo  Panels.— A  panel  much  used  by  the 
designer  of  lettering  inscriptions  is  one  that  may  be  made 
to  fit  any  irregular  space;  it  may  be  made  to  correspond 
in  the  general  arrangement  and  design  of  its  ends,  thus 
making  a  balanced  design,  or,  it  may  be  made  without  regard 
-  to  uniformity.  This  is 

^^•.  k  n  o  w  n     as     the     rococo 

^z^fe^c^  panel.       It    is    especially 

useful  to  the  show-card 
writer,  being  easily  and 
quickly  constructed;  i  t  s 
outline  is  made  with  one 
continuous  brush  stroke. 
Fig.  13  shows  this  style 
of  panel.  Its  unlimited 
application  rests  with  the 
versatility  of  the  letterer. 

17.  Belief-Scroll 
Panels.— In  Fig.  14  is 
shown  a  panel  that  serves 
much  the  same  purpose  as 
the  foregoing.  This  panel, 
known  as  the  relief -scroll 
panel,  is  often  so-  elabo- 
rate in  design  and  composi- 
tion that  the  entire  inscrip- 
tion can  be  placed  within  its 
outlines.  The  relief  scroll 
is  based  on  the  natural 
form  of  the  acanthus  leaf, 
but  it  is  idealized  into  a 
great  variety  of  forms.  In 
the  following  few  sugges- 
tions, Fig.  15,  the  elements  of  the  relief  scroll  are  given. 
Arrange  these  in  a  relief  design,  introducing  the  leaf  and 
other  features  where  they  properly  belong.  The  student 
should  not  expect  to  be  able  to  construct  a  relief  ornament 


10         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

and  shade  it  properly  without  considerable  practice.  Grace- 
ful curves  are  an  important  element  in  the  construction  of 
this  ornament,  and,  in  fact,  in  all  freehand  ornamentation. 
Therefore,  one  who  possesses  the  ability  to  draw  symmet- 
rical curves  is  better  qualified  to  execute  the  relief  ornament, 
which  is  considered  to  be  the  most  difficult  of  all  styles 
to  master. 

RIBBONS 

18.  The  Several  Forms  of  the  Ribbon.  —The  ribbon 
is  used  in  many  forms,  and  can  be  made  to  suit  almost  any 
style  of  inscription  by  folding"  or  extending.     When  folded, 
the  part  representing  the  back  of   the  ribbon  is  called  the 
return,  and  must  be  shown  by  color  or  shading.     The  ribbon 
is  made   either  in   a  regular   curve   or  with    irregular    and 
broken  edges.     Fig.   16  shows    the  ribbon  in  some    of   its 
many  forms;  the  names  of  its  component  parts  are:     a,  the 
bow;  b,  the  broken  band;  c,  the  regular  band;  d,  the  return- 
ing band;  e,  the  streamer;  and  /,  the  roll. 

19.  The  ribbon  is  used  also  in  a  square  or  geometrical 
form,  shown  in  Fig.  17,  in  which  case  the  graceful  and  nat- 
ural wave  does  not  enter.     This  form  of  ribbon  is  chiefly 
employed  in  conventional  or  set  designs. 

20.  The  most   graceful  and  symmetrical  design  of  the 
ribbon  is  in  the  form  of  the  double  ogee  curve;  when  so  used 
both  ends  must  be  made  precisely  the  same  in  outline.     The 
fold  can  also  be  made  in  the  middle  of  the  ogee,  as  shown 
in   Fig.   18,  without   distorting    its    symmetrical   effect,   but 
rather  giving  it  ease  and  grace,  which  should  always  be  the 
aim  of  the  designer. 

21.  Shading  thr   Ribbon.—  To  make  the  shading  of  a 
ribbon  appear  natural,  always  observe  the  natural  law  of 
light  and    shade.     If  the  light   strikes   on   one  part  of  the 
ribbon,  the  opposite  side  corresponding  with  it  must  neces- 
sarily be  in  shadow. 

The  study  of  light  and  shade  is  the   first  requirement  in 


§2 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


11 


designing-,  and  has  been  considered  with  reference  to  individ- 
ual letters  in  Show-Card  Writing.  In  designing,  as  in  drawing 
from  nature,  strict  adherence  to  this  law  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary; the  slightest  disregard  of  it  is  noticeable  to  the  skilled 


FIG.  17 


eye.  We  have  seen  the  advantage  of  shading  single  letters- 
to  the  left,  and  it  is  well  to  practice  the  shading  of  designs 
on  the  left  also,  in  order  to  avoid  such  mistakes  as  are  likely 


FIG.  18 

to  occur  by  showing  a  shade  on  two  opposite  sides  of  an 
object  or  of  several  objects  when  they  are  combined  in 
one  design. 

22.  Reflected  right.  —  In  the  shading  of  ribbons  or 
any  rounded  object,  the  principle  of  the 
reflected  light  must  be  observed.  By 
it  is  shown  the  edge  or  line  which,  with- 
out the  observance  of  the  principle, 
would  be  lost  where  the  darkest  shaded 
parts  come  together.  Fig.  19  shows 
this  principle  of  reflected  light,  the  ,»| 
greatest  strength  of  the  shade  being 
somewhat  removed  from  the  extreme 
edge  of  the  object,  as  at  a,  while  the 

shadow  cast  by  the  object  itself  is  strongest  against  the 
edge  at  b. 


12         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §  2 


PRACTICAL  DESIGNING 


INSCRIPTION  DESIGNING 

23.  How  to  Arrange  an  Inscription. —A  show-card 
writer  is  confronted  with  all  kinds  of  combinations  of  words  in 
inscriptions.    It  should  be  one  of  the  chief  ends  of  his  educa- 
tion in  lettering  to  be  able  to  fit  the  inscription  to  any  required 
size.    He  should  also  possess  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of 
the  almost  unlimited  forms  of  arrangement  that  make  it  pos- 
sible to  design  the  card,  so  that  it  will  be  neat  and  artistic  as 
well  as  legible.     To  do  this  it  is  necessary  that  the  words  of 
greatest  importance  should  be  most  conspicuously  brought 
out  in  the  inscription.    When  this  is  accomplished,  the  desired 
end  in  show-card  writing  has  been  attained. 

24.  Straight-Liine    Arrangement. —There     are     two 

general  methods  of  arranging  the  wording  on  a  show  card. 
If  there  is  a  considerable  amount  of  matter,  it  maybe  lettered 
in  a  uniform  style  of  capitals  and  lower  case  in  the  same  form 
as  printed  matter,  or  it  may  be  arranged  in  the  form  known  as 
the  display  ad,  discussed  under  Art.  25.  The  straight-line 
inscription  may  be  made  of  capitals  throughout,  and  it  may  not 
be  necessary  always  to  follow  the  printer's  rule  of  beginning 
all  lines  at  the  left  margin;  sentences  may  end  at  any  point. 
The  first  few  words,  if  especially  important,  and  the  final  line 
also,  may  be  placed  in  the  center  of  the  card  without  detri- 
ment to  the  appearance  of  either  inscription  or  design. 

25.  Display  A  n-nngement.  —  In  this  method  of  design- 
ing the  inscription,  first  draw  a  light  vertical  line  through 
the  center  of  the  card  and   place   the  lettering  equally  on 
either  side  of  it.     In  the  display  ad,  several  lines  may  be 
occupied  without   giving  any   special  consideration  to  uni- 
formity in  the  style  of  the  alphabet  selected,  or  the  size  of 


§2 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


13 


letter  used,  so  far  as  their  relations  to  the  appearance  of  the 
work  are  concerned.  The  vertical  line  should  be  drawn 
through  the  center  of  the  card  in  order  to  guide  the  letterer  in 
placing  a  word  exactly  in  the  center.  This  is  accomplished 
by  counting  the  number  of  letters  in  the  word,  or,  if  more 
than  one  word  occurs  on  a  line,  by  counting  also  the  spaces 
between  the  words,  allowing  the  width  of  one  letter  for  each 
space,  and  balancing  the  total  number  of  letters  and  spaces 


Is  Unequalled 


BY 


Y0UR  TAIL0R 


FIG.  20 

equally  on  either  side  of  the  vertical  line,  as  shown  in  Fig.  20. 

This  method  is  also  used  when  the  inscription  is  composed 
of  words  that  may  be  suitably  arranged  in  curved  lines. 
These  are  made  to  balance  by  observing  the  center  vertical 
line,  as  shown  in  Fig.  21.  The  space  between  the  curved 
lines  should  be  equal  on  either  side  of  the  central  vertical. 

The  proper  selection  of  various  styles  of  freehand  letters 
is  essential  to  the  speed  of  the  show-card  letterer.  If  letters 
consisting  of  rounded  strokes  be  selected,  they  may  be 


14         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  -AND  ORNAMENT         §  2 


executed  much  quicker  than  letters  having  many  angles. 
For  example,  the  third  line  of  Fig.  20  is  in  the  style  known 
as  Full  Block;  it  is  a  letter  seldom  used  by  card  writers, 
because  not  quickly  made.  While  this  is  true  in  regard  to 


FIG.  21 


letters,  it  is  likewise  true  in  regard  to  the  studied  arrange- 
ment of  the  lines  of  an  inscription.  An  elaborate  design 
may  be  used  when  the  occasion  requires,  but  to  save  the 
extra  amount  of  labor  and  time  necessarily  spent  in  making 


N^^-^r 
EGLIGEE 


(jrea+ \4riety 

.of  1%tterns, 


FIG.  22 

an  accurately  balanced  design  is  greatly  to  the  advantage  of 
the  card  writer  and  his  income.  He  therefore  resorts  to  the 
following  method,  when  the  wording  is  of  such  a  nature  as 
to  permit  of  the  use  of  the  freehand  arrangement: 


§2  .      SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         15 


26.  Freehand  Arrangement. —Fig.  22  illustrates  the 
style  we  have  chosen  to  call  the  freehand  arrangement  com- 
posed of  straight  lines  only.  This  style  requires  no  observ- 
ance of  a  center  balancing  line.  It  is  necessary,  however, 
that  due  regard  be  paid  to  a  uniform  margin  line  for  begin- 
ning and  ending  words,  also  that  the  first  and  last  lines  of 
the  inscription  be  at  equal  distances  from  the  top  and  bottom 
edges  of  the  card  respectively.  The  expert  show-card  writer 
never  marks  out  the  letters  for  this  arrangement. 


rasofrS 


PIG.  23 

27.  Freehand  Curved  Lines.— The  freehand  arrange- 
ment is  not  confined  to  straight  lines,  but  the  inscription 
may  also  be  constructed  entirely  of  curves,  in  which  case  it 
is  only  necessary  to  balance  the  inscription  equally  in  the 
center  of  the  card  by  simply  giving  heed  to  the  uniformity 
in  width  of  margin.  Fig.  23  shows  an  example  of  the  style 
of  curves  used  in  this  arrangement.  It  is  not  advisable, 
however,  always  to  use  curves  throughout  an  inscription. 
A  combination  of  straight  lines  and  curves  gives  the  same 
results  and  avoids  the  confusion  and  irregularity  in  general 
effect  that  arises  from  too  many  curves. 


16         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §2 


LOCATION    OF    INSCRIPTION 

28.  A  Common  Error.  —The  beginner  is  usually  of  the 
opinion  that  the  entire  space  on  the  card  should  be  covered 
with  letters.  This,  however,  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  show 
card.  The  inscription  is  never  of  such  a  nature  as  to  require 
letters  so  large  as  will  not  permit  of  a  liberal  margin.  The 
observer  is  usually  not  more  than  10  or  15  feet  from  the  sign, 
and  small  letters  may  be  easily  read  at  this  distance,  espe- 
cially if  the  letters  be  made  clear  and  distinct  in  outline  and 
in  such  styles  as  are  most  suitable  to  the  inscription.  Our 
leading  show-card  writers  carry  this  idea  almost  to  its 
extreme  limit  without  impairing  the  appearance  of  the  card 


# 
Sfe 

ns. 


FIG.  24 

or  depreciating  its  value  as  a  show  card.  We  would,  there- 
fore, urge  on  students  the  imperative  demand  for  neatness 
in  their  work,  and  the  necessity  for  margins  on  the  card  suf- 
ficient to  allow  a  small  space  within  the  stripe.  The  stripe- 
should  be  made  at  least  li  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  card. 
Fig.  24  shows  the  comparative  location  of  an  inscription 
composed  of  two  or  three  words. 

29.  An  Kmphat  i<-  \Vor<l.— If  an  important  single  word 
requiring  special  prominence  occurs  in  the  inscription,  as,  for 
example,  the  name  of  the  maker  or  the  name  of  an  article, 
the  word  may  easily  be  made  prominent,  while  at  the  same 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         17 


time  the  general  effect  of  keeping  the  body  of  the  inscrip- 
tion the  desired  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  card  may  still 
be  preserved. 

Fig.  25  illustrates  this  style  of  design.  The  fine-line  stripe 
may  surround  the  design,  being  omitted  only  when  it  would 
otherwise  come  in  contact  with  the  lettering;  or,  the  stripe 
may  be  merely  suggested  in  the  upper  left-  and  lower  right- 
hand  corners  of  the  design  — according  to  the  nature  of  the 
inscription. 


from,tl)e 

^•o  I  Ae  Q^O  5  e  af" 
WfjeatT- 


^—Breakfast 


cm 


FIG.  25 

30.  Diverse  Treatment.  —  It  often  happens  that  a  num- 
ber of  words  in  the  inscription  need  to  be  given  special 
prominence,  while  a  large  portion  of  the  matter  is  purely 
descriptive  and  therefore  may  be  put  in  one  style  of  small 
letters.  With  this  kind  of  inscription,  the  letterer  may  give 
the  words  the  form  of  a  design  by  embellishing  the  principal 
lines  of  letters,  or  he  may  prepare  his  sign  with  no  attempt 
at  artistic  designing,  using  plain  letters  only.  Fig.  26  shows 
two  designs  bearing  the  same  inscription:  (a)  the  plain 
lettered  sign,  and  (b)  the  inscription  arranged  in  the  form 
of  a  design. 


18 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


§2 


In  the  latter  case,  the  strong  contrast  of  the  black  ground 
and  the  white  cut-in  letters  repays- the  writer  for  the  extra 
time  required  in  thus  treating  the  inscription. 


1\)e  prices  Gorged  for 
f^uj5s  at  tipis  sale  are 
pot  equal  to  tjjose  asked 
by  tfje  ru{5  dealers,  but 
are  ir>  keeping  witlp  tj?e 
prices  of  ttys  store. 


T^e  Pricey 
charged  for  Rugs  at 
li)is  sale  are  pot  equal 
totfjoseaskedbytfje 
rug  dealers,  but  are  ip 
keeping  witfr  tf?e  prices 

of  tjjis  store. 


HASTINGS  &  Co. 


(a) 


(b) 


FIG.  26 


31.  Selection  of  Alphabets.— The  selection  of  the 
most  appropriate  style  of  letter  to  be  used  is  a  subject 
that  should  be  given  careful  consideration.  The  letterer 
should  have  the  various  styles  of  letters  so  fixed  in  his 
mind  that  when  given  an  inscription  to  design  he  may  be 
able  to  give  to  every  word  the  particular  style  of  letter  best 
adapted  to  its  length,  to  the  combination  of  its  letters,  and 
to  its  relation  to  the  other  lines  of  the  inscription.  This  the 
letterer  cannot  hope  to  do  until  he  has  had  considerable 
practice  and  long  experience  in  lettering.  To  provide  him 
with  those  styles  of  letters  most  commonly  used  is  the  pur- 
pose of  the  plates  of  alphabets  to  be  drawn  and  sent  in  to 
the  Schools  for  correction.  In  the  following  alphabets, 
however,  styles  less  frequently  used  are  given.  A  student 
who  has  become  proficient  and  has  ability  to  draw  the  regu- 
lar plates  of  the  Course  will  experience  no  difficulty  in 
executing  any  of  these  added  styles.  Practice  these  alpha- 
bets during  your  leisure  moments,  and  in  a  short  time  you 


V    • 
A\   A 


o 

czfl 

OD 


I  2 


§2         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         19 

will  find  that  you  have  memorized  the  details  of  construction 
in  "every  letter  of  the  various  alphabets  now  in  use.  These 
plates  will  be  found  valuable  for  reference  purposes,  and,  for 
this  reason,  they  should  be  kept  close  at  hand  when  the 
student  is  designing. 

SUPPLEMENTARY    ALPHABETS 

32.  Full   Block. -This   style   of   letter  is   suitable  for 
headings,  or  for  a  short  single  word.     Perhaps  no  style  of 
letter  is  so  little  used  as  this,  and  yet  the  card  writer,  to  be 
thoroughly   prepared    to    meet    every    requirement,    should 
at  least  possess   a  knowledge  of   the  construction  of  this 
letter.     By  following  the  few  general  rules  given,  the  Full 
Block  letter  may  be  made  freehand.     First,  note   that  the 
width  of  the  letters  generally  is  equal  to  their  height;  also, 
that  the  stroke  and  the  space  between  horizontal  strokes  are 
equal.     The  length  of  the  spur  is  equal  to  one-half  the  width 
of    the   stroke.     The  inside    and  outside  bevels   should  be 
parallel   and   the  distance   separating   them   should   be   the 
same  as  that  given  to  the  width  of  the  stroke.     The  bevels 
begin  one-fourth  the  width  of  the  stroke  above  or  below  the 
horizontal  and  reach  to  the  vertical,  thus  avoiding  too  great 
an  angle  in  the  construction  of  the  letter.     By  always  observ- 
ing these  few  rules,  the  letterer  will  find  it  unnecessary  to 
use  ruled  lines  for  Full  Block  letters,  except  when  absolute 
accuracy  is  required. 

33.  Half   Block. -This    style    of   letter,   like  the  Full 
Block,  is  mechanical  and  composed 

of  many  angles;  it  is,  therefore, 
seldom  used.  Its  practical  appli- 
cation is  confined  mostly  to  that 
feature  of  designing  known  as 
cutting  in.  While  a  round  letter 
may  be  made  more  quickly  than 
any  other  style  when  lettering  in 

the  ordinary  way,  the  angular  letter  with  its  many  bevels 
is  made  with  greater  rapidity  when  cut  in.  The  card  writer 


20        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

may  add  spurs  to  the  corners  of  the  Half  Block,  thereby 
relieving  the  letter  of  its  severe  plainness;  when  so  relieved, 
it  is  classified  as  Antique  Half  Block.  Fig.  29  shows  how 
these  spurs  are  added  to  the  side  bevels  as  well  as  to  the 
corners  of  vertical  strokes. 

34.  Antique  Egyptian  (l^iglit).— This  style  of  letter, 
shown  in  Fig.  30,  is  an  extreme  light-face  treatment  of  the 
normal  Antique  Egyptian  letter.     It  is  especially  useful  to 
the  show-card  writer  when  the  inscription  calls  for  a  small 
neat  letter  on  a  black  or  colored  card.     No  style  of  letter 
answers  such  a  purpose  so  admirably  as  this.     Great  care 
must  be   given  to  its  execution,  in  order  that   the  proper 
uniform  width  may  be  maintained1  in  the  stroke,  that  the  spurs 
may  be  made  small  and  sharp-pointed;  also,  that  the  curved 
strokes  may  be  made  symmetrical  by  merging  the  rounded 
part    gracefully  into    the    horizontal    stroke.      The    student 
will   find  it  necessary   to   devote   considerable   time   to   the 
practice  of  this  alphabet  before  he  is  able  to  use  it  to  advan- 
tage in  show-card  writing.     Few  styles  of  letters  are  subject 
to  modifications  in  so  many  points  as  this.     The  alphabet 
entitled  Eccentric  Egyptian  is  so  closely  allied  to  this  style 
that  the  student  is  not  required  to  prepare  this  one  as  a  lesson 
to  be  sent  in  for  correction.     The  corrections  made  on  the 
Eccentric  Egyptian  plate  will  also  apply,  in  a  general  way, 
to  the  errors  usually  made  in  this  plate  by  a  beginner. 

35.  Old  English.— The  need  is  occasionally  felt  by  the 
•card  writer  for  a  style  of  letter  that  will  serve  the  purpose 
of  a  heading  or  give  variety  to  the  inscription.     The    Old 
English  letter,  shown  in  Fig.  31,  is  an  excellent  one  for  such 
purposes,  because  of  its  ornamental  character,  and  also  on 
account  of  the  simplicity  of  its  formation.    The  letter  is  com- 
posed of  crescents,  cyinas,  and  straight  lines.     It  is  a  letter 
that  may  be  easily  memorized  and  one  that  may  be  made 
with  great  rapidity.     The  Old  English  alphabet  is  capable 
of  the  most  beautiful  effects  in  color  treatment.    The  capital 
maybe  highly  illuminated  by  paneling  or  ornamenting,  while 
the  balance  of  the  line,  or   the  lower-case  letters,  may  be 


§*% 


| 


<D 

m 

iU 


E 

P 
U- 

id 

Q 

V 
DQ 

,< 


gvD 

£S*i 

OK  i 

Or  ib; 


.XDO 


-8 


ncy 


§2         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         21 

blended  and  shaded  by  a  great  variety  of  methods.  This, 
however,  requires  time  and  study,  and  card  writers  are  gen- 
erally satisfied  to  include  this  among  the  list  of  styles  for 
occasional  use  only.  In  order  that  the  writer  may  acquire 
versatility  in  inscription  designing,  we  recommend  that  he 
give  much  practice  to  this  style  of  letter  and  prepare  him- 
self to  execute  the  capitals  and  lower-case  letters  by  a  careful 
study  of  each  letter  until  he  finds  it  unnecessary  to  refer  to 
the  copy. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  the  great  economy  in  time 
gained  from  a  perfect  familiarity  with  the  details  of  the  for- 
mation of  every  alphabet  used.  The  letterer  should  experi- 
ence no  delay  in  his  practical  work  by  being  compelled  to 
refer  to  the  printed  copy.  We  suggest,  however,  that  this 
knowledge  cannot  be  obtained  without  constant  practice. 

36.  Engrossing. —These  alphabets  are  known  as  Rund 
Schrift  (Round  Script),  or  round  writing,  and  are  illustrated 
by  means  of  Fig.  32.  They  are  especially  adapted  to  the 
automatic  shading  pen.  The  letters  are  made  up  of  vertical 
strokes,  cymas,  and  crescents.  The  vertical  strokes  are  cut 
off  on  an  angle  of  45°,  showing  the  natural  incline  of  the 


FIG.  33 

pen  when  forming  this  style  of  letter.  The  pen  is  maintained 
in  the  same  uniform  position  throughout  the  alphabet.  By 
referring  to  the  first  letter  A,  the  right  and  left  crescent  is 
seen,  also  the  point  where  the  maximum  thickness  of  the 
stroke  occurs.  The  crescent  is  reduced  to  a  fine  line,  and 
this  is  approximately  on  an  angle  of  45°. 

The  heavy  line  of  the  letter,  made  by  the  grooved  part  of 
the  pen,  should  always  be  to  the  right  side  of  the  stroke;  the 
shade  and  heavy  lines  are  drawn  with  one  stroke  of  the  pen. 
In  making  this  letter,  draw  all  strokes  by  beginning  at  the 
top  and  drawing  the  pen  downwards.  It  requires  but  little 


22         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

practice  with  the  pen  in  order  to  bear  on  it  with  a  firm,  even 
pressure  that  will  produce  an  unbroken  stroke.  Special 
inks,  of  several  colors,  are  prepared  for  these  shading  pens, 
and  so  mixed  as  to  give  a  transparent  shade.  Fig.  33  shows 
the  style  of  pen  used;  also,  the  angle  at  which  the  pen 
is  inclined. 

37.  Shippers'     Box    Marking:.  —  While    this    style    of 
letter,  as  shown  in  Fig.  34,  is  known  as  a  box-marking  style, 
it  is  nevertheless  a  convenient  letter  for  use  in  card  writing. 
This  letter  may  be  made  with   great   speed.      The  stroke, 
although  shaded,  is   made  with    one    downward    movement 
of  the  brush,  especially  in  the  lower-case  letters.     Some  of 
the  capitals  require  two  strokes  of  the  brush  when  making 
the  shaded  part.    This  style  of  letter  inclines  about  30°  to  the 
left  of  the  vertical.     The  right  outline  of  the  stroke  follows 
this  incline,  while  the  left  outline,  beginning  at  the  top  with 
a  fine  line,  swells  into  an  ogee  curve,  giving  the  stroke  its 
maximum  width,  one-fourth  the  height  of  the  letter  from  the 
base  line.     The  chief  characteristic  of  this  alphabet  lies  in 
the  graceful  curves  that  form  the  details  of  the  letters. 

38.  French  Roman  (Light). —  Included  in  the  drawing 
plates   is  the    French   Roman,  also  shown   in   Fig.   35,   the 
normal  letter  of  this  style,  and   therefore  the  prototype  of 
the  light-face  letter.     This  alphabet  is  an  eccentric  form  of 
letter,  and  like  the  Antique  Egyptian   (Light)   is   especially 
used  on  a  black  or  colored  card.     The  letter  when  used  on 
a  dark  card  is  usually  white,  and  for  this  reason  an  artistic 
light-face  letter  is  chosen  for  the   purpose.     This  letter  is 
subject  to  greater  modification  than  is  shown  in  the  copy. 
The  lower-case  letters  of  the  normal  alphabet  are  used  with 
this  letter,  but  should  be   greatly  reduced  in  the  stroke  in 
order  that  perfect  proportion  may  exist  when  they  are  com- 
bined in  the  form  of  an  inscription.     We  advise  the  student 
to  study  this  alphabet  in  connection  with  the  normal,  that  he 
maybe  better  able  to  compare  the  details  of  both  styles  and 
see  wherein  they  differ.     When  constructing  this  letter,  it  is 
essential  that  all  spurs  be  made  needle-pointed  and  that  a 


2^ 


I 


a  3 

-       . 

R 


§2 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


23 


uniform  width  be  given  to  the   stroke;    also,  that   the  light 
line  be  made  one-third  the  width  of  the  stroke. 

39.  Gothic.— This  style  of  alphabet,  see  Fig.  36,  was 
created  during  the  closing  centuries  of  the  Medieval  period, 
and  is  associated  historically,  as  well  as  in  its  outline,  with 
the  ogival,  or  pointed  arch,  which  at  this  time  existed  in  the 
Gothic    architecture.     For  illuminated  capitals    there  is  no 
alphabet  that  gives  so  classical  a  touch  to  a  design  as  the 
Gothic,  although  Old  English  is  often  used  for  this  purpose. 
But  the  elements  of  construction  in  this  style  of  letter  better 
fits  it  to  the  panel,  in  which  illuminated  capitals   are  often 
placed.     Gothic  is  so   seldom   used  in  card  writing  that  it 
would   be    necessary  for   the    letterer    always    to  have    the 
plate   before  him  for  reference  when  constructing  a  Gothic 
inscription.  

INDEXES 

40.  Method  of  Construction. —Aside  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  alphabets,  nothing  is  so  important  in  show-card  work 
as    the    index   hand.     For  directing  the   attention  to  some 


FIG.  37 

specialty,  or  the  customer  to  some  department,  the  index  is 
indispensable.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the  card  writer 
should  thoroughly  understand  the  principles  on  which  it  is 
constructed.  The  rule  by  which  the  index  is  proportioned  is 
so  simple  that  when  once  understood  the  student  need  never 
experience  any  difficulty  in  laying  out  a  right  or  left  index 
from  memory. 


24         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

In  Fig.  37  are  shown  the  points  of  construction  and  their 
proper  location,  by  which  an  index  of  any  size  may  be  drawn. 
The  distance  from  a,  or  the  end  of  the  forefinger  nail,  to  b, 
the  center  of  the  knuckle,  is  equal  to  that  from  b  to  c  and 
from  a  to  g-,  also,  to  that  from  /  to  the  top  of  the  coat  sleeve. 
The  distance  from  d  to  e  is  equal  to  that  from  j  to  k,  g  to 
/,  c  to  //,  and  //  to  /.  To  locate  these  points  properly,  the 
student  should  draw  a  horizontal  line  tangent  to  b.  By 
means  of  this  line  the  points  a  and  c  may  then  be  located, 
as  they  are  at  equal  distances  below  this  line  and  also 
equidistant  from  point  b.  The  points  a  and  c  being  found, 
it  is  easy  to  draw  the  curves  of  the  top  of  the  finger  and  the 
back  of  the  hand.  It  is  necessary  to  keep  in  mind  the  incline 
of  the  line  from  a  to  g,  which  should  be  at  an  angle  of  25°. 
The  width  of  the  finger  at  d  and  the  thumb  at  e  are  equal, 
and  one-half  of  that  from  cT  to  e. 

With  these  measurements  fixed  in  the  mind,  the  outline 
of  a  perfectly  proportioned  index  may  always  be  constructed 
from  memory.  Fig.  38  shows  the  "proper  location  of  the 
shading  in  the  index.  In  order  that  the  hand  may  appear  in 
relief,  strong  shades  should  be  made  where  these  are  shown 
in  the  figures;  otherwise,  the  index  will  appear  flat  and  lack- 
ing in  strength.  The  shading  will  also  serve  as  a  guide 
when  painting  the  index  in  natural  colors. 


THE     EYE 

41.  Drawing  the  Eye. —Nothing  so  attracts  attention 
as  the  human  eye.  It  has  been  said  that  "the  eye  is  the 
window  of  the  soul."  But  the  show-card  writer  can  make 
this  the  soul  of  the  window  if  the  drawing  and  harmony  of 
coloring  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  cause  a  striking  simi- 
larity to  exist  between  the  natural  and  the  artificial.  If  the 
student  desires  to  engage  in  show-card  writing  as  a  profes- 
sion and  to  solicit  the  patronage  of  tradesmen  generally,  he 
should  be  able  to  design  every  principal  feature  used  in 
the  different  trades,  or  by  merchants.  The  eye.  spectacles, 
shoes,  teeth,  mortar,  horseshoe,  cigar,  fish,  bird,  etc.  are 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         '25 


among  the  most  common  things  that  a  card  writer  should  be 
capable  of  drawing  and  painting  without  reference  to  any 
copy.  In  Fig.  39  an  outline  sketch  of  the  eye  is  given, 
showing  the  proper  proportions  and  location  of  the  several 

details.  The  length  of  the  eye, 
or  the  distance  from  c  to  d,  is 
twice  the  width,  or  the  distance 
from  a  to  b.  The  color  disk  e, 
or  cornea,  of  the  eye  should  be 
drawn  so  as  to  be  tangent  to 
the  lower  lid,  and  should 
extend  somewhat  underneath 
the  upper  lid.  The  diameter  of 
the  pupil  /  should  be  a  little 
more  than  one-third  that  of  the 
cornea,  although  this  is  not  arbitrary,  as  the  pupil  is  subject 
to  great  variation  when  acted  on  by  light.  The  white  surface 
on  either  side  of  the  cornea  /,  /,  known  as  the  outer  canthus, 
should  be  equal  in  area.  The  small,  partly  enclosed  portion 
d  is  known  as  the  inner  canthus.  The  reflected  light  g,  or 


FIG.  39 


FIG. 40 


iris,  is  usually  made  wedge-shaped;  it  may,  however,  be  made 
rectangular  with  small  points  or  rays  on  either  edge.  The 
upper  lid  is  marked  by  the  line  //,  while  the  marks  //,  h  below 
the  eye  represent  the  location  of  wrinkles  often  seen  in  the 


26         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         §2 

markings  of  the  eye.  The  proper  length  and  location  of  the 
eyebrow  is  seen  at  /'.  With  these  few  guide  lines,  the  student 
should  experience  no  difficulty  in  constructing  a  properly  pro- 
portioned eye.  In  Fig.  40  the  eye  is  shown  fully  shaded. 

42.  Coloring  the  Eye.— After  tinting  the  entire  por- 
tion surrounding  the  eye  a  flesh  color,  blend  this  into  the 
background  so  as  to  avoid  sharp  edges  of  color.  The  sha- 
ding of  the  eyelids,  wrinkles,  and  eyebrows  should  then  be 
completed.  Burnt  sienna,  black,  and  blue  are  used  for  this 
purpose.  The  eyeball,  or  white  of  the  eye,  should  then  be 
laid  in.  Make  this  a  bluish  white  and  shade  where  the 
upper  lid  would  cause  a  shadow  to  naturally  fall,  using  blue 
and  black  for  coloring.  The  inner  canthus  should  be  tinted 
with  red.  The  cornea  may  be  a  blue,  black,  or  brown,  with 
the  strongest  shades  above  and  below  the  pupil,  blending 
this  in  lines  radiating  from  the  center  of  the  pupil.  The 
pupil  should  invariably  be  black  and  glossy;  the  iris  should 
be  clear  white.  After  the  eye  has  been  otherwise  com- 
pleted, the  eyelashes  may  be  penciled  on,  as  shown  in 
Figs.  39  and  40;  also,  the  penciling  of  the  eyebrows  and 
other  retouching  done  in  a  manner  that  will  give  clearness 
and  artistic  finish  to  the  work. 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND 
ORNAMENT 

(PART  2) 


INTRODUCTION 

1.  Value  of  Examples.  —Every  workman,  especially  in 
the  art  branches  of  industry,  realizes  the  necessity  for  exam- 
ples of  practical  treatment  that  will  aid  him  in  designing. 
We  are  told  that  Shakespeare  had  no  teacher;  that  is  to  say, 
that  his  style  was  that  of  a  master.  Yet,  it  is  true  also  that 
he  possessed  the  broadest  knowledge  of  the  achievements  of 
others.  For  similar  reasons,  a  show-card  writer  cannot  attain 
a  thorough  mastery  of  his  art  unless  he  is  familiar  with  every 
form  of  designing  ordinarily  employed.  He  may  then  rise 
above  the  common  level  of  the  plagiarist  and  be  able  to 
create  or  compose  practical  designs  suitable  to  his  require- 
ments. Such  should  be  the  aim  of  every  student.  It  is  the 
man  with  original  ideas  who  is  always  in  demand. 

In  the  following  pages  we  have  endeavored  to  furnish  the 
student  with  material  that  will  be  suggestive  in  a  valuable 
way,  as  well  as  give  him  instruction  in  the  various  forms  of 
applied  design.  With  a  knowledge  of  these  subjects  a 
student  should  be  fully  prepared  to  execute  any  kind  of 
designing  and  lettering  likely  to  come  within  his  province 
as  a  show-card  writer. 

For  notice  of  copyright,  see  page  immediately  following  the  title  Page 
§3 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 


APPLIED   DESIGN 


FORMS  USED  IN  CARD  WRITING 

2.  Trade-Mark  Designs.  —  In  the  preparation  of  a  trade 
mark  or  emblem  there  is  great  opportunity  for  display  of 
skill  both  in  the  general  arrangement  and  in  working  out  the 
details  of  the  composition.     In  the  example  chosen,  Fig.  1, 
the  article  advertised  is  a  certain  style  and  make  of  shoe  that 
the  manufacturer  desires  to  set  before  the  public  as  possess- 
ing merits  peculiarly  identified  with  his  make.     In  the  trade 
mark,  therefore,  lies  an  opportunity  to  present  in  symbols 
that  which  might  be  stated  plainly  in  words,  if  the  design 
and  classical  feature  of  the  inscription  arrangement  were  to 
be  given  no  consideration.    The  design  used  for  the  example 
is  purely  on  the  heraldic  order.     The  lion  is  used  as  sym- 
bolical of  strength;  the  helmet  is  used  to  bear  out  the  name 
of    the   shoe,   Armor    Plate,   indicating  protection,   and   the 
eagle  is  used  to  signify  buoyancy.     Embodied  in  the  trade 
mark,  therefore,  are  the  chief  qualifications  of  the  manufac- 
turer's product:  strength,  protection,  and  buoyancy. 

The  plain  inscription  of  the  design  is  made  to  fill  the  space, 
and  such  styles  of  letters  are  chosen  as  will  best  serve  this 
purpose.  The  long  stroke  of  the  letter  M,  partly  enclosing 
the  trade  mark,  the  added  curved  fine  line  enclosing  the 
small  letters,  and  the  dash  attached  to  the  letter  s  (affording 
opportunity  for  variety  in  the  lettering)  all  tend  to  make  the 
design  compact  and  easily  read. 

3.  Permanent   Designs. —One  of    the   most   practical 
features  in  show-card  writing  is  the  adoption  of  some  set 
design  for  the  card  by  which  the  public  will  soon  learn  to 
associate  the  card  and  its  message  with  the  firm  or  store 
using  it. 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


The  design  may  be  placed  in  one  corner,  leaving  the  bal- 
ance of  the  card  for  advertising  matter,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2. 
The  design  may  be  made  on  white  paper  and  reproduced 
by  the  photoengraving  process.  The  cards  could  then  be 
printed.  Any  kind  of  press  will  answer.  Another  form  of 
the  permanent  design  is  that  used  at  the  top.  and  bottom 
of  the  narrow  card,  leaving  the  entire  center  of  the  card  for 
advertising  matter.  This  style  of  design  is  very  popular. 
It  not  only  forms  an  ornamental  feature  of  the  show-card, 
but  likewise  keeps  the  name  of  the  firm  constantly  in  the 


FIG.  2 

public  eye.  Fig.  3  illustrates  the  manner  in  which  this  style 
of  design  is  used.  When  such  a  design  is  employed,  there 
should  be  no  striping  or  other  ornamentation  on  the  card, 
for  this  would  detract  from  its  artistic  effect.  The  lettering 
should  be  small  and  neat,  occupying  the  center  of  the  space 
and  leaving  a  liberal  margin  both  above  and  below  it. 

4.  Illustrative  Designing.  —  To  give  variety  to  a  win- 
dow display  and  break  the  monotony  of  a  number  of  plain- 
lettered  cards,  the  most  attractive  feature  that  may  be  used 
is  the  illustrative  sketch.  The  use  of  this  form  of  artistic 
designing  is  limited  only  by  the  originality  of  the  show-card 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 


writer.  Fig.  4  shows  a  simple  application  of  this  method  of 
advertising  in  which  the  illustrating  is  of  a  witty  character. 
To  call  special  attention  to  the  sale  of  some  particular 
garment  or  other  article,  it  is  often  necessary  to  illustrate  in 
such  manner  as  will  impress  the  observer,  either  by  the  art, 
the  ridiculousness,  or  the  wit  displayed. 

There  are  always  op- 
portunities for  display- 
ing the  ridiculous,  and 
perhaps  nothing  is  more 


FIG.  3 


FIG.  4 


effectual  in  attracting  attention  than  this  style  of  illustrating 
when  well  done.  If  this  be  accomplished  by  using  such 
subjects  as  are  common  or  well  known,  the  greater  will  be 
the  advertising  value  of  the  illustration.  If  the  window 
display  be  made  in  the  interest  of  the  millinery  department, 
such  an  illustration  as  that  given  in  Fig.  5  could  be  used, 


§3        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


AIMED 


1ST  CD  ^/v 


FIG.  5 

showing  the  earliest  known 
form  of  head  gear  in  compari- 
son with  that  used  at  present. 

5.     Figure  Designs.— The 

human  figure,  used  in  a  sketchy 
manner,  is  coming  more  and 
more  into  favor  with  the  card 
writer  and  is  made  practical  in 
several  ways.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary that  it  should  be  colored, 
although  it  greatly  improves  the 
sketch  to  lay  in  the  design  with 
flat  tints;  that  is,  plain,  even 
colors,  without  making  any 
attempt  at  shading. 

A  figure  design  may  be  most 
ingeniously  fitted  to  the  inscrip- 
tion and  be  placed  at  one  corner 
of  the  card;  or,  if  the  card  be 
rectangular,  a  figure,  such  as  a 
fashion  plate,  may  be  placed  at 
either  end  of  the  card,  arranged 
in  vertical  panels.  These  figures 
mav  then  be  colored  to  suit  the 


FIG.  6 


6 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


character  of  the  sketch.  If  the  sketch  be  light,  a  dark  back- 
ground for  the  figure  may  be  used;  if  the  figure  be  dark,  a 
bronze  or  colored  background  should  be  chosen.  Fig.  6 
illustrates  this  style  of  design. 

6.  Figures  in  Relief. —A  head  may  be  sketched  on  a 
card,  cut  out  to  the  outline,  and  fastened  on  the  back  of  the 
card  bearing  the  inscription,  so  that  the  head  and  bust  will 
project  above  the  card.  This  style  of  show-card  can  be 


FH;. 


made  very  artistic.  To  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the 
feature  it  may  be  put  to  practical  use  by  employing  it  as  a 
form.  Stocks,  neckties,  fur  boas,  veils,  gloves,  fans,  hats, 
etc.  may  be  fitted  to  the  sketch  and  many  very  pleasing 
effects  produced. 

Men's    heads    are    likewise    used,    as    shown    in    Fig.   7. 
To   them    may  be   attached   several  styles   of  neckties,  the 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


style   of  collar  being    outlined    in   the    sketch.     The  heads 
may  be  projected  far  enough  above  the  card  to  permit  the 


use  of  scarfs  or  ties,  not  so 
long,  however,  as  to  cover  the 
inscription  on  the  card. 

7.  Cut-Out  Designs. 
A  further  application  of  the 
art  of  designing  leads  us  to 
consider  the  subject  from 
another  standpoint.  There 
are  numerous  articles  in 
almost  every  class  of  mer- 
chandise that  may  be  pre- 
pared in  the  form  of  a  sign. 
This  may  be  accomplished 
by  outlining  the  article  and 
cutting  it  out.  It  may  be  shaded  to  represent  more  closely 
the  object  desired,  and  lettered  by  placing  the  inscription 


FIG.  8 


8  SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 

in  some  open  space,  or  the  lettering  may  cover  the  shaded 
parts.  The  shirt,  shoe,  lamp,  stove,  hat,  and  coat  are 
a  few  of  the  many  articles  that  may  be  cut  out  with  good 
effect.  There  are  also  seasonable  emblems  in  great  variety 
that  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Father  Time,  with  his 
scythe,  representing  the  closing  year,  and  the  little  winged 
messenger  representing  the  arrival  of  the  new  year;  Santa 
Claus,  as  shown  in  Fig.  8,  the  time-honored  emblem  of 
Christmas;  and  the  turkey  during  the  Thanksgiving  season, 
are  among  the  more  common  figures  that  may  be  cut  out  and 


FIG.  9 

shaded  either  in  black  and  white  or  in  natural  colors,  as 
desired.  It  is  always  preferable  for  the  shading  to  be  done 
in  such  a  manner  as  will  bring  out  the  object  in  strong  relief, 
even  though  it  be  dark  enough  to  require  a  white  letter 
for  the  inscription.  Fig.  9  shows  the  comparative  strength 
of  the  shade  and  the  markings  necessary  to  represent  the 
Thanksgiving  turkey. 


§3        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  DESIGN 


NATURAL    FORMS    USED 

8.  Flowers. —Several  varieties  of  flowers  may  be  made 
quickly  that  greatly  add  to  the  appearance  of  a  fancy  show- 
card.  To  embellish  the  card  with  such  material  as  will,  with 
the  fewest  touches,  produce  the  most  artistic  effects,  is  the 
desire  of  every  writer.  The  design  that  requires  much  study 
on  account  of  a  great  amount  of  detail  is  practically  worth- 
less in  show-card  writing.  Such  flowers,  therefore,  as  the 


(HAMBERS  (o 


(HICAGO.  ILL. 


FIG.  10 


rose,  carnation,  daisy,  primrose,  violet,  apple  blossom,  wild 
rose,  etc.  furnish  the  best  material  for  floral  ornament. 
Flowers  are  usually  made  a  part  of  such  designs  as  that 
shown  in  Fig.  10.  In  order  that  the  floral  piece  may  have 
a  substantial  and  finished  appearance,  strong  natural  shades 
are  employed,  and  these  are  varied  "in  color  to  suit  the 
harmony  of  the  work. 

9.  Acorn  and  Oak  Leaves. —Certain  natural  forms  are 
especially  adapted  to  ornamentation,  such  as  the  oak  leaf  and 
the  acorn.  In  the  furniture  trade,  if  the  article  advertised  be 
an  oak  piece,  such  an  ornament  could  be  ingeniously  used  in 
many  ways,  either  within  the  inscription,  suggested  in  one 


10 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


corner,  or  in  opposite  corners  in  the  form  of  a  border,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  11.  The  design  or  suggestion  should  harmo- 
nize with  the  object  with  which  it  is  associated. 


FIG.  11 


10.  Holly. —During  the  holiday  season  the  show-card 
writer  can  make  use  of  the  holly  for  ornamental  purposes. 
With  a  knowledge  of  the  form  of  the  leaf  and  the  other 
details  of  a  spray  of  holly,  he  should  be  able  to  arrange  this 
in  any  form  to  suit  his  requirements.  In  Fig.  12  is  given  a 


FIG.  12 

spray  of  holly,  showing  the  character  of  the  leaf,  location  of 
the  berries,  etc. 

1  1 .     Pi  110  rono.  —The  pine  cone  is  used  for  ornamental 
purposes  in  various  ways.     It  is  produced  with  fewer  brush 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


11 


marks  than  any  other  style  of  ornament,  requiring  no  draw- 
ing before  executing  with  the  brush.     It  is  used  to  fill  an 


FIG.  13 

open  space  in  a  design,  or  is  located  as  a  floral  piece  might 
be.     In  Fig.  13  is  shown  the  pine  cone  with  spray  of  pine. 

12.     Palm  and  Palm  Branch.— The  palm,  on  account 
of   its  graceful  and   artistic  leaf,  and  the   light   and   shade 


FIG.  14 


effects  that  may  be  produced  by  its  use  in  ornament,  is 
exceedingly  valuable  to  the  designer.  The  highly  colored 
and  artistic  jardiniere  may  also  be  utilized,  and  most 


12 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


§3 


beautiful  ornamentation  produced  by  their  joint  use  with  the 
expenditure  of  comparatively  little  work  or  time.  In  Fig.  14 
is  shown  some  of  the  natural  positions  of  the  leaves;  also, 
the  light  and  shade  effects  that  make  this  plant  valuable 


FIG.  15 

material  to  the  designer.  The  cycas  palm  branch,  on  account 
of  its  symbolic  significance,  being  used  as  an  emblem  of 
victory,  joy,  merit,  or  preeminence,  is  most  common  among 
the  forms  of  ornament  with  which  a  card  writer  should  be 
familiar,  and  he  should  be  prepared  to  apply  these  when  the 
occasion  requires  by  a  practical  knowledge  of  their  for- 
mation. Fig.  15  shows  the  cycas  palm  leaf. 


ORNAMENT 


VARIOUS  STYLES  AND  APPLICATION 

13.     Corner  Ornament. —The  ornament,  as  applied  to 
card  writing,  has  its  simplest  beginning  in  the  corner  piece. 


FIG.  16 


There  are  many  ways  in  which  the  ornamental  enters   into 
the  arrangement   of  the   stripe   to   give   relief   to  the  plain 


§3        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         13 

angular  finish.  It  may  be  used  in  connection  with  the  stripe 
or  made  independent  of  it,  as  shown  in  Fig.  16.  By  using  a 
heavy  stripe  and  fine  line,  the  corner  piece  may  be  greatly 
elaborated.  But,  for  all  practical  purposes,  the  simpler  this 
is  made,  the  more  useful  and  effective  is  it  in  show-card 
writing.  Among  our  leading  card  writers  the  metal  and 
embossed  paper  corners  have  sprung  into  great  popularity. 
The  former  are  fastened  on  the  card  with  small  gimp  tacks 
and  are  easily  removed  for  further  use.  The  embossed  paper 
corners  are  glued  on.  In  both  cases  they  are  made  to  repre- 
sent a  gilded  ornament;  the  stripe  is  joined  to  the  ornament 
as  though  it  were  a  part  of  it;  this  may  be  of  bronze  to 
correspond  with  the  corner,  or  it  may  be  white,  black,  or 
made  of  some  bright  color. 

In  Fig.  17  is  shown  the  metal  corner,  which  is  almost 
identical  in  appearance  with  the  embossed  paper  corner. 
In  Fig.  18  is  shown  the  paper  corner,  also  the  elaborate 
center  design,  which  is  likewise  of  embossed  paper.  These 
paper  designs  are  used  as  centerpieces,  corner  pieces,  and  also 
for  price-mark  panels.  Fig.  19  (a)  and  (£)  illustrate  some  of 
the  designs  furnished  in  embossed  paper,  also  the  manner  in 
which  these  are  applied.  The  dark  panel  is  made  by  laying 
on  the  ellipse  or  panel  where  desired  and  marking  around 
the  inside  with  a  lead  pencil.  India  ink  is  then  used  to  coat 
the  surface  overlapping  the  mark,  and  then,  by  pasting  the 
design  on  the  paper,  a  substantial  price  mark  is  produced. 

Aside  from  the  price  marks  shown,  there  are  several 
styles  of  ornaments  used  for  decorating.  These  are  made 
of  embossed  gilt  paper  and  are  easily  attached  to  the  card. 
Some  suggestions  are  given  in  the  figure,  showing  their  prac- 
tical use.  In  Fig.  19  (b)  also  is  shown  a  variety  of  embossed 
papers  used  for  decorating  purposes.  These  are  furnished 
in  gold  and  silver,  and  are  especially  useful  for  bevels,  panels, 
etc.  In  the  same  figure  is  also  shown  a  variety  of  embossed 
bands  used  for  borders  as  well  as  for  bevels. 

14.  Centerpiece  Ornament. —Where  the  first  line  of 
an  inscription  is  curved,  a  space  between  it  and  the  second 


14         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 

line  is  left,  especially  if  the  latter  be  a  prominent  line  and 
extends  across  the  card.  It  is  necessary  that  this  space 
should  contain  some  form  of  ornament  that  will  relieve  its 
plainness  and  counterbalance  the  lower  portion  of  the 
inscription.  There  are  a  great  many  styles  of  ornament  that 
may  be  used  for  this  purpose,  but  the  simplest  forms  are 
always  the  most  practical  and  will  give  added  value  to  the 
inscription.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  ornament  in  card 
writing  to  make  this  so  conspicuous  as  to  attract  special 
attention.  The  inscription  is  of  paramount  importance,  and 


FIG.  20 


the  ornamentation  should  be  of  secondary  consideration. 
In  Fig.  20  is  given  one  style  of  ornament  that  may  be 
elaborated  to  a  very  great  extent  by  the  addition  of  lines. 


VARIOUS    DESIGNS 

15.  Elliptical  Designs.  — In  Fig.  21  is  shown  a  form 
of  ellipse  made  to  imitate  pearls.  To  relieve  the  design  of 
plainness,  the  bow  and  streamer  ribbon  are  added  to  the  top, 
while  this  is  counterbalanced  with  broad  striping  and  fine 
lines  run  across  the  card,  apparently  behind  the  ellipse.  To 
produce  the  opaque  gray,  reduce  the  lettering  white  with 
water  until  it  becomes  almost  transparent.  Such  designs 
should  be  lettered  with  a  small  neat  letter,  using  Roman, 
French  Roman,  a  light-face  Antique  Egyptian,  or  script,  as 
shown  in  the  figure. 

The  ornamental  ellipse,  shown  in  Fig.  22,  is  made  by  cut- 
ting out  a  pointed  ellipse  of  the  size  desired  and  using 
it  in  the  form  of  a  stencil  pattern.  Rub  on  dry  color 
with  the  chamois  skin;  after  this  is  done,  find  the  center 


FIG.  21 


FIG.  22 


FIG.  23 


§3         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         15 

of  height  of  the  figure  and  construct  four  ornaments 
similar  to  those  given  in  the  example.  The  card  may  be 
lettered  in  black  or  in  colors  that  will  harmonize  with  the 
dry  color  used  on  the  background.  In  the  figure  the  back- 
ground color  is  blue,  the  letters  are  Indian  red  with  vermilion 
capitals,  which  make  an  excellent  combination.  A  cream 
center,  with  gold  bronze  ornamenting  and  a  black  letter 
would  also  be  a  most  harmonious  combination  and  make  a 
very  rich-appearing  show-card.  Bright  water  colors  may  be 
spattered  on  the  card  while  the  stencil  is  in  position,  thus 
protecting  the  white  border.  A  tooth  brush  is  generally 
used  for  this  purpose. 

Another  freehand  ellipse  design  is  shown  in  Fig.  23,  in 
which  the  center  is  treated  with  the  semiopaque  white.  The 
ornament  that  encloses  the  panel  is  variegated,  beginning  at 
the  narrow  end  with  cream  color;  it  is  blended  gradually  into 
a  deep  red  -at  the  opposite  end,  thus  causing  the  extreme 
colors  to  meet  at  either  end  of  the  ellipse. 

In  making  this  style  of  panel,  care  should  be  exercised  to 
make  the  ground  color  an  even  shade,  and  to  keep  this  dark 
enough  to  make  the  white  letter  prominent  on  the  panel  as 
well  as  on  the  black  card.  In  order  that  the  ornament  may 
be  sharp  and  clear,  it  is  well  to  highlight  it,  using  a  cream 
color  for  the  purpose. 

16.  Pictorial  Show-Cards.  —  For  general  advertising 
purposes,  especially  if  a  large  number  of  cards  be  required 
bearing  the  same  design  and  inscription  throughout,  the 
trade  mark,  or  suitable  picture,  may  be  used.  This  may  be 
done  by  hand  or  they  may  be  cut  out  and  mounted  on 
the  card.  The  border  surrounding  the  picture  may  then  be 
painted,  giving  the  entire  work  the  appearance  of  being 
hand  painted,  as  shown  in  Figs.  24  and  25.  When  a  white 
card  is  used,  there  is  excellent  opportunity  for  the  card  writer 
to  use  ribbons  and  panels  in  the  design  that  will  give  variety 
to  the  work,  and  enable  him  to  bring  out  conspicuously  that 
portion  of  the  inscription  that  should  be  given  most  promi- 
nence. A  panel  may  be  painted  with  water-color  black,  and 


16 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


afterwards  lettered  with  white,  or  it  may  be  cut  in  with 
show-card  black,  in  which  latter  case  the  letters  are  made 
sharper. 

If  a  panel  be  desired  on  a  black  card,  it  is  advisable  that 
this  be  cut  out  of  white  card  and  mounted  on  the  black. 
A  panel  may  be  made  by  striping,  and  the  letters  within  the 
panel  be  made  of  red  outlined  with  white  or  other  bright 
color.  Script  letters  are  quickly  made  and  are  suitable  to 
many  inscriptions,  especially  such  as  that  shown  in  the  figure. 

17.  Mounted  Panels.  —  In  Fig.  26  a  disk  cut  out  of  gray 
photo-mounting  cardboard  is  mounted  on  a  white  card  and 


M0NR0E 


RANGES 


FIG.  27 

lettered  with  a  white  letter,  which  makes  a  strong  contrast 
with  the  black  letters  composing  the  balance  of  the  card. 
This  form  of  show-card  is  subject  to  great  variety  of  treat- 
ment and  may  be  made  very  attractive  by  using  bright- 
colored  cards,  as  sea  green,  blue,  maroon,  or  red. 

18.  Imitation  Relief  Letters.  —The  illustration  given 
in  Fig.  27  represents  a  relief-letter  show-card.  Where  the 
inscription  is  composed  of  one  or  two  short  words,  such  a 


FIG.  26 


§3 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


17 


card  sign  may  be  made  quickly  and  gives  a  pleasing  and 
attractive  effect.  The  card  should  be  lettered  in  an  even  tint 
of  medium  strength,  after  which  it  may  be  highlighted  with 
white  or  a  tint  of  the  color  used. 

Another  form  of  relief  letter  is  made  by  representing  a 
flat  surface  with  beveled  edges.  This,  however,  is  not  so 
quickly  done,  two  colors  being 
required;  also,  the  drawing  of 
the  bevels  on  the  letters  re- 
quires more  study  than  the  for- 
mer style  of  bevel.  In  Fig.  28 
is  given  an  example  of  the 
latter  form. 

19.  Fancy-Edge    Cards. 

There  are  many  .ways  by  which 
the  show-card  may  be  elabor- 
ated, either  by  using  a  uniform 
design,  as  shown  in  Fig.  29,  or 
by  serrating  the  edge  by  pla- 
cing the  card  between  two 

pieces  of  board  and  sawing  the  edge  with  a  large-tooth  saw. 
A  serrated-edge  white  card,  mounted  on  a  larger  black  card, 
makes  a  very  attractive  finish.  The  attention  of  the  student 
is  directed  also  to  Fig.  29,  with  reference  to  the  style  of 
ornament  used  to  embellish  the  inscription. 

In  making  this  style  of  freehand  ornament,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  sketch  it  out,  but  it  may  be  made  at  once  by  using  a 
large  shading  brush,  giving  graceful  curves  to  the  stroke. 
A  darker  shade  of  the  same  color  may  afterwards  be  employed 
to  line  the  edge  of  the  stroke,  producing  the  effect  of  a  care- 
fully studied  ornament.  The  choice  of  a  color  for  such  an 
ornament  should  depend  on  the  colors  used  in  lettering  and 
shading. 

20.  Panel  Cards.— A  panel  in  the  center  of  the  show- 
card  gives  an  excellent  opportunity  for  the  display  of  any 
important  part  of  the  inscription.     The  panel  may  be  of  a 
different  color  from  the  background,  or  it  may  remain  the 


FIG.  28 


18 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


§3 


same  color.  In  Fig.  30  is  given  a  form  of  panel  showing 
the  curled  corner  that  gives  a  natural  and  artistic  effect  to 
the  design.  Attention  is  called  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
edge  of  the  card  is  finished;  the  broad  color  is  light  cream, 
and  the  fine-line  stripe  at  the  edge  of  this  is  burnt  sienna. 

Another  form  of  panel  card  is  shown  in  Fig.  31.  In  this 
design  the  important  words  of  the  inscription  occur  outside 
of  the  panel.  A  striking  contrast  is  made  in  the  use  of  an 
orange  vermilion  red  outlined  with  white.  The  panel  is  made 
by  using  a  color,  somewhat  darker  than  the  gray  cardboard, 


FIG.  32 

on  the  shadow  sides  of  the  bevel,  and  white  made  semitrans- 
parent  on  the  other  sides.  The  center  is  filled  in  with  India 
ink,  on  which  white  letters  may  be  placed. 

In  Fig.  32  is  shown  a  style  of  panel  that  is  made  by  run- 
ning a  band  of  opaque  color  around  the  card,  leaving  a 
center  of  white  l£  inches  from  the  edge,  and  making  the 
panel  of  a  size  suitable  to  the  inscription  as  well  as  the  orna- 
ment employed.  In  the  example,  the  spray  of  roses  is  used 
as  suggestive  of  the  spring  opening.  The  color  is  clouded 
in  with  a  darker  shade  of  the  color  used  for  the  ground. 
The  flowers  are  then  painted  in  broad  and  effective  colors, 


LU 


0) 

u 


u 


FIG.  31 


§3 


SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT 


19 


giving  a  strong  natural  shade  made  from  the  same  color  as 
the  ground. 

21.  Ribbon  Borders.— The  bow  and  streamer  ribbon 
are  used  to  serve  a  twofold  purpose  in  the  example  given  in 
Fig.  33.  It  not  only  relieves  the  black  card  of  its  severe 
plainness  because  of  its  ornamental  character,  but  it  also 


FIG.  34 

forms  a  border.  The  double  ribbon  is  often  made  to  extend 
around  the  entire  card,  or  it  may  be  used  as  in  the  sketch  in 
opposite  corners  only. 

22.  Appropriate  Ornamenting.  —  In  Fig.  34  is  given 
an  example  of  an  ornament  suited  to  the  inscription  — an  end 
that  may  often  be  attained  by  the  use  of  a  harmonious  design, 
such  as  an  ornamental  trade  mark  or  other  appropriate 


20         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 

illustration.  In  the  example,  a  double-line  ornament  is  used 
that  is  similar  to  the  ornament  used  for  embroidery.  It  is 
therefore  suitable  as  a  practical  example  as  well  as  service- 
able for  its  utility  as  an  ornament  on  the  show-card. 

23.  Novelties  in  Show-Card  Designs.  —A  great  many 
suggestions  might  be  offered  along  the  line  of  novelties,  but 
such  examples  are  found  on  every  hand,  and  it  only  remains 
for  the  progressive  and  alert  show-card  writer  to  make 
practical  application  of  them.  In  Fig.  35  is  given  a  design 
and  inscription  suitable  to  a  china  or  crockery  store.  The 
large  hinges,  of  the  antique  variety,  should  be  made  of  dead 
black;  that  is,  black  made  to  dry  without  a  gloss.  The  bolts 
are  represented  by  the  use  of  gilt  paper  rosettes.  The  panels 
on  gray  card  are  easily  made  by  using  a  lighter  and  a  darker 
shade  than  that  of  the  card.  Thus,  a  paneled  door  may  be 
shown  with  little  work,  which  serves  the  purpose  of  the 
letterer  in  placing  the  inscription  on  the  card  to  good 
advantage.  If  reference  may  be  made  to  the  door,  it  adds 
interest  to  the  design  and  attracts  more  attention. 

Another  form  of  appropriate  design  in  advertising  show- 
cards  is  that  shown  in  Fig.  36.  In  this  design  the  tight 
board  fence  is  employed,  which  gives  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity for  the  space  on  which  to  place  the  inscription.  In  the 
example  chosen,  the  announcement  being  especially  in  the 
interest  of  the  boys,  the  heads  of  two  boys  (that  may  be 
quickly  and  roughly  made)  appear  above  the  fence  in  an 
inquisitive  manner,  and  thus  add  life  and  attractiveness  to 
the  show-card.  Such  signs  as  the  foregoing  naturally  require 
a  little  more  time  for  their  preparation  than  the  plain  lettered 
card,  but  their  value  is  increased  as  a  display  advertisement, 
and  the  results  experienced  by  the  merchant  stimulate  his 
interest  in  the  show-card  as  a  most  profitable  medium  in 
attracting  and  securing  trade. 


FIG.  35 


FIG.  36 


Pencil 


FIG.  37 


FIG.  38 


§3         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         21 


PRICE  TICKETS 

24.  Novel  Designs.— As  the  price  mark  plays  a  most 
important  part  in  the  usefulness  of  show-card  writing  (many 
merchants  confining  their  demand  for  card  writing  exclu- 


3PECIAI, 


FIG.  39 


sively  to  this  style  of  work),  it  is  necessary,  therefore,  that 
this  subject  be  considered  both  in  regard  to  designs  as 
well  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  lettering  may  be  executed. 
There  are  two  mechanical  means  by  which  the  price  ticket 


22         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 

may  be  made,  that  is  to  say,  two  appliances  aside  from  the 
lettering  brush.  One  is  the  air  pencil  illustrated  in  Show- 
Card  Writing,  an  example  of  which  is  given  in  Fig.  37;  the 
other  is  the  automatic  shading  pen  also  described  in  the 
same  section.  A  price  ticket  showing  the  use  of  white  on 
black,  as  well  as  black  and  colors  on  white,  is  likewise 
shown  in  Fig.  37. 

The  simplest  forms  of  price  ticket  made  are  the  square, 
rectangular,  the  diamond-shaped,  and  the  disk.  These  are 
quickly  cut  out,  and  are  therefore  the  most  profitable  style 
to  furnish  to  the  trade.  The  plain  white  figure  on  a  black 
card  is  most  conspicuous.  For  this  reason  a  smaller  card 
may  be  used,  of  the  kind  shown  in  Fig.  38. 

It  is  often  desirable  that  the  price  ticket  serve  the  purpose 
also  of  giving  emphasis  to  the  price  by  stating  the  quality  of 
the  article  or  other  descriptive  matter.  These  cards  may 
contain  so  much  wording  as  to  take  a  place  between  the 
price  ticket  and  the  show-card,  as  shown  in  Fig.  39. 

In  Fig.  40  is  given  a  style  of  card  much  in  demand,  espe- 
cially for  "marked  down"  or  "reduction  sales,"  in  which  the 
former  price  is  somewhat  in  the  background. 

Ribbon  designs  are  a  popular  form  of  price  ticket  and 
these  may  be  made  with  a  simple  scroll  or  return  of  the 
ribbon,  or  they  may  be  elaborated  to  suit  the  inscription  by 
the  use  of  water  colors,  as  shown  in  Fig.  41. 

In  Fig.  42  are  given  several  examples  of  price  tickets  on 
which  the  name  of  the  dealer  or  firm  appears,  which  is  often 
required  in  the  show-card  and  price  ticket. 

Fig.  43  illustrates  a  number  of  designs  that  may  be  used 
as  price  tickets,  some  of  which  are  cut  out  in  the  interior  of 
the  design.  To  accomplish  this  it  is  necessary  to  lay  the 
card  on  a  thick  piece  of  glass  and  to  use  the  point  of  a  sharp 
pocket  knife. 

There  is  unlimited  opportunity  for  fancy  and  special  designs 
suitable  to  the  various  classes  of  business  and  the  different 
goods  advertised.  There  are  also  many  symbols  that  are 
used  to  express  an  idea  that  may  be  taken  as  a  pattern  for 
the  price  mark.  In  the  several  examples  shown  in  Fig.  44, 


FIG.  40 


FIG.  41 


FIG.  42 


FIG.  43 


FIG.  44 


§3        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         23 

this  idea  is  illustrated  irr  the  use  of  the  horseshoe  and  four- 
leaf  clover,  symbolical  of  good  luck;  the  mortar,  also,  as 
the  sign  used  by  the  druggist;  the  fan,  as  suggestive  of  hot 
weather,  is  in  harmony  with  the  inscription  it  bears.  The 
shoe  makes  an  excellent  price  mark  for  a  shoe  dealer. 

The  ornamental  feature  shown  in  the  square  card  is  of  a 
style  that  could  be  easily  stenciled  on  in  two  colors,  using 
green  for  the  wreath  and  red  or  umber  brown  for  the  ribbon. 
The  stencil  pattern  could  be  utilized  also  in  many  ways  for 
borders  and  designs  as  well  as  the  figures. 


INSCRIPTIONS  FOR  SHOW-CARDS 

25.  Some  Suggestions.— As  a  rule,  the  inscription  is 
furnished  with  the  order  for  the  show-card,  but  in  many 
cases  the  customer  relies  on  the  ability  of  the  card  writer  to 
assist  him  in  wording  the  inscription;  or,  he  may  be 
depended  on  entirely  for  the  arrangement  of  the  reading 
matter.  The  card  writer  should  be  prepared  with  a  scrap 
book  well  filled  with  all  manner  of  catchy  and  up-to-date 
phrases  and  expressions.  There  are  abundant  resources  on 
\vhich  to  draw  for  pithy  and  pointed  ideas  along  this  line, 
and  that  first-class  writer  is  most  in  demand  who  is  always 
ready  to  meet  the  requirements  of  his  customer. 

There  is  no  better  way  to  advertise  and  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  masses  than  to  prepare  some  novel  idea  or 
scheme  in  the  inscription  of  a  sign  or  show-card  that  will 
bear  repeating  purely  for  its  wit  or  eccentricity.  In  Fig.  45 
is  given  an  example  of  a  parody  on  Edgar  Allen  Poe's  well- 
known  poem,  and  is  especially  applicable  to  a  jeweler. 

There  are  many  phrases  that  have  grown  hoary  with  ser- 
vice, and  any  change  that  will  express  the  same  idea  is 
welcomed  by  the  public  as  well  as  the  merchant.  For 
example,  Holiday  Novelties,  Santa  Claus  Headquarters. 

There  are  such  well-known  phrases  as  are  employed  by 
our  persistent  patent-medicine  advertisers  that  are  often 
turned  to  other  uses,  as  follows: 


24         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 


§3        SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT         25 

The  "Life  Principle"  is  found  in  our  ginger  phosphate. 
"For  that  tired  feeling"  try  one  of  our  rattan  porch  chairs. 
"For  that  dry  feeling"  try  our  ice-cream  soda. 
"For  that  wet  feeling"  try  one  of  our  $1.50  umbrellas. 

Then,  there  are  the  general  stock  phrases  that  may  be 
used  for  any  class  of  goods,  as  follows: 

If  these  goods  interest  you,  the  prices  are  sure  to. 

Speaking  of  strikes,  how  do  these  goods  and  prices  strike  you? 

While  they  last,  only  (  )  each. 

These  are  the  goods  advertised— 'nuf  said. 

You  may  fool  some  of  the  people  all  the  time,  and  you  may  fool  all  the  people 
some  of  the  time;  but  you  cannot  fool  all  the  people  all  of  the  time.— Abraham  Lincoln. 

REFLECTION.— There  are  at  least  some  of  the  people  that  know  a.  good  thing  when 
they  see  it. 

We  bought  them  at  a  bargain;  you  may  do  the  same. 

These  goods  have  never  been  advertised;  the  excellence  of  the  goods 
is  sufficient. 

"As  comfortable  as  a  feather  bed  in  an  ice  house"— one  of  our 
flannel  summer  suits. 

There  are  also  tricks  in  lettering  and  punctuation  that  are 
deceiving  at  first  sight,  and  if  ingeniously  executed  will 
attract  attention  and  cause  much  comment.  For  example, 
an  old  worn  shoe  could  be  placed  in  the  show  window  and 
the  card  referring  to  it  lettered  as  follows: 


WHAT!  DO  YOU  THINK 


NAPOLEON  AT\VAT:RLOO? 


FIG.  46 

The  exclamation  and  interrogation  points  entirely  change 
the  apparent  meaning  of  the  inscription. 

Then,  there  are  those  commonplace  expressions  that  some 
may  choose  to  turn  to  advertising  purposes.  Whether  this 
is  considered  to  be  in  good  taste  is  not  for  us  to  question. 
Examples  of  such  expressions  are  as  follows: 


26         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        §3 

"There  are  a  few." 

Our  price  is  right,  "It's  up  to  you." 

"This  is  a  peach"  of  a  bargain. 

In  the  latter  case  the  cloth,  cotton-padded  imitation  peach 
may  be  fastened  on  the  card  above  the  inscription. 

There  are  numberless  pithy  phrases  that  may  be  made 
directly  applicable  to  one  particular  line  of  goods.  In  pre- 
paring such  inscriptions  an  excellent  opportunity  is  often 
presented  to  make  the  phrase  most  attractive  because  of  its 
direct  application  to  the  thing  advertised.  A  few  examples 
of  such  phrases  are  given  in  the  following: 

SENSIBLE  SUMMER  SUITINGS, 

Season's  Superb  Selections. 
GOING  AWAY? 

Take  along  a  CAMERA;  it  will  add  to  the  pleasure  of  your  outing. 

He'll  stay  at  home  evenings  if  you  buy  him  one  of  these  house  coats. 
Ready-to-wear  garments  for  ready-to-buy  customers. 

If  you  endeavor  to  duplicate  these  suitings  elsewhere,  keep  the  price 
in  mind  also. 

You'll  never  have  the  nightmare  if  you  sleep  on  one  of  these 
brass  beds. 

You'll  welcome  cold  weather  if  you  possess  one  of  these  overcoats. 

A  bargain  is  no  stronger  than  its  weakest  point. 
These  are  all  strong  points: 
Low  PRICES, 

SUPERIOR  QUALITY, 

DURABILITY  IN  MAKE, 

EXCELLENCE  IN  FINISH. 

If  you  would  linger  longer,  you  could  no  longer  linger  with  one  of 

OUr  59C.   ALARM    CLOCKS. 

Say!  are  you  aware  that  the  best  ware  to  wear  is  our  TRIPLE- 
PLATED  WARE? 

You  "get  it  RIGHT  in  the  neck"  when  you  wear  our  neckwear. 
No  trouble  to  show  goods;  it  makes  it  less  trouble  to  sell  them. 
In  serving  you  well  today,  we  insure  your  trade  tomorrow. 
To  be  rubbered  well,  buy  a  pair  of  our  pure  gum  rubbers. 
You  are  poorly  shod  when  you  buy  the  shoddy. 


§3         SHOW-CARD  DESIGN  AND  ORNAMENT        27 

"Brevity  is  the  soul  of  wit";  it  is  also  the  secret  of  success 
in  show-card  inscriptions.  The  card  writer  knows  the  advan- 
tage gained  in  this  in  the  saving  of  time  in  lettering  short 
inscriptions.  To  use  several  words  to  explain  a  thought  that 
might  be  expressed  in  one  or  two  words  often  destroys  the 
pointed  and  pithy  effect  that  might  otherwise  be  produced. 

Illustrations  often  speak  louder  than  words.  A  rough, 
sketchy  illustration  may  be  made  to  bring  out  the  purpose 
of  the  window  display  as  well  as  to  give  added  attractiveness 
to  the  show-card.  For  example,  a  window  devoted  to  ladies' 
bathing  suits  could  be  made  most  attractive  by  using  a  show- 
card  on  which  a  young  lady  in  a  bathing  suit  could  be 
sketched  in  a  reclining  posture,  on  a  beach.  The  inscription 
should  be  brief,  as  follows: 

"!N  THE  SWIM." 
Great  variety;  all  prices. 

In  all  cases  where  illustrations  are  used,  they  should  be  so 
designed  as  to  express  the  object  of  the  display  almost  inde- 
pendently of  the  inscription.  A  window  of  washable  fabrics, 
with  a  picture  of  a  woman  at  a  wash  tub,  would  require  but 
little  reading  matter  to  convey  the  idea  that  the  goods  adver- 
tised were  washable. 


LETTER  FORMATION 


FREEHAND    ALPHABETS 


PL, ATE,   TITLE:    BRUSH-STROKE    LETTERS 


1.  Practical  Application. —As  its  name  indicates,  the 
brush-stroke  letter  is  one  whose  strokes  are  completed 
with  a  single  sweep  of  the  brush.     No  style  of  letter  can  be 
so  quickly  made  as  this.     Its  use  is  confined  mostly  to  the 
less  important  parts  of  the  show-card  inscription,  and  there- 
fore it  is  generally  executed  with  a  small  or  medium-size  let- 
tering brush.     It  may  be  made  vertical  or  on  an  incline,  the 
latter  being  preferable   on   account  of  the  additional  grace 
that  may  be  shown  in  the  curves  of  many  of  the  letters. 

2.  Dimensions    of    the    Plate.  — Note    carefully    the 
dimensions  given  in  the  following  instruction,  as  these  differ 
from  the  copy.     The  reason  for  this  is  twofold:     First,  to 
obviate  the  possibility  of  reproducing  the  work  by  tracing  or 
other  means,   were   the   student  inclined  to  accomplish  the 
drawing  by  this   process.     Second,    the    original   drawings 
were  made  much  larger  than  the  copy  and  in  accordance 
with  the  size  required  in  the  student's  specimen  sheet,  but 
were   necessarily    reduced   in    the    photoengraving   process 
employed  in  reproducing    the  plates.     The  letters   of    this 
plate,  as  they  should  be  drawn  by  the  student,  are  contained 
within  a  rectangle  15  inches  long  by  9  inches  wide,  which 
leaves   a  margin  of  3   inches   from  bottom  edge  of  paper, 
and  2i  inches  from  either  side. 

For  notice  of  copyright,  see  page  immediately  following  the  title  page 


2  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

3.  Spacing    the    lanes. —  First,    draw    this    rectangle 
lightly  with  a  hard  needle-pointed  lead  pencil  (which  should 
be  erased  when  drawing  is  completed),  and  beginning  from 
the  top  line  on  the  left  vertical  line,  measure  off  the  height 
of  letters  and  the  space  between  lines  as  follows:     The  dis- 
tance from  the  top  margin  line  to  the  top  of  the  first  line  of 
letters  is  f  inch.     The  letters  are  1  inch  high  and  the  space 
between  the  lines  of  capitals  is  f  inch;  that  between  lower 
line  of  capitals  and  the  long  letters  of  the  lower  case  is  also 
£  inch.     The  height  of  the  lower-case  letters  is  f  inch,  and 
the  space  between  these  lines  is  f  inch.     The  height  of  all 
titles  is  -fs  inch.     The  incline  of  the  letters  is  about  17°.     To 
locate  the  title  in  the  center  of  drawing,  mark  a  line  through 
the  center  of  the  plate,  or  7i  inches  from  either  vertical  line 
of    the  rectangle;  find   the  number  of   letters    in   the   title, 
allowing  the  width   of    one    letter  for    all    spaces   between 
words,  and  place  an  equal  number  of  letters  on  either  side 
of    center   line.     The   student   should    at  first    draw   pencil 
lines  on  this  angle  until  the  incline  has  become  fixed  in  his 
mind,  when  they  may  be  discarded. 

4.  Spacing  the  Letters.  —  It  is  necessary  for  the  begin- 
ner to  space  the  letters  with  great  care  and  accuracy,  giving 
a  uniform  width  to  the  letters  and  an  equal  space  between 
them.     After  spacing  the  letters  of  the  top  lines,  using  points 
of  the  compass   for  this   purpose,  the   letters  of  the  lower 
lines  may  be  more  easily  located  by  comparing  their  relative 
position  with  those  of  the  top  line.     For  spacing  the  letters 
with  accuracy,  the  student  will  find  the  following  method  of 
great  assistance: 

Divide  the  length  of  the  rectangle,  15  inches,  into  5  equal 
spaces,  3  inches  each;  also,  divide  the  copy  into  an  equal 
number  of  spaces,  or  2i  inches  each.  It  will  then  be  an 
easy  matter  to  locate  the  letters  by  proportion. 

5.  The  Brush  Work.  — For  lettering  use  India  ink,  let- 
terine,  or  card  black,  and  the  No.  5  red-sable  brush.     Keep 
the  brush  well  charged  with  black  while  lettering.     Draw  the 
strokes  with  a  downward  motion  of  the  hand,  being  careful 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  3 

to  observe  the  proper  position  of  the  hand,  shown  in  Show- 
Card  Writing.  The  stroke  should  be  of  uniform  width  and 
the  curves  made  symmetrical  and  graceful.  Draw  the  strokes 
in  order  as  they  are  numbered  and  in  the  direction  indicated 
by  the  arrows,  but  do  not  place  these  on  your  finished  work. 
They  are  only  for  a  guide  in  making  the  plate. 

6.  Care  of  the  Brushes. —  It  is  important  for  the  stu- 
dent to  take  proper  care  of  the  brushes  he  uses  that  the  best 
possible  work  may  be  accomplished,  and  that  the  brushes 
may  always  be  ready  for  use.     A  brush  that  has  been  used 
in  letterine  or  India  ink  should  be  thoroughly  rinsed  in  clear 
water,  and  the  hairs  carefully  drawn  to  a  point  before  it  is 
put  away.     If  card  black  be  used,  cleanse  the  brush  in  ben- 
zine or  turpentine,  after  which  the  brush  should  be  dipped  in 
kerosene  oil,   and  partially  wiped  out  on  a  piece  of  cloth. 
Always  rinse  the  brush  in  benzine  or  turpentine  before  using 
again,  in  order  that  the  kerosene,  which  is  an  undrying  oil, 
may  be  entirely  removed. 

7.  How  the  Work  Should  Be  Sent   In.— After  com- 
pleting the  brush  work,  use  India  ink  and  an  ordinary  steel 
pen,  that  has  not  been  used  in  writing  fluid,  for  printing  the 
date    on  which    the  work   was  completed   (this    should   be 
placed  in  the  lower  left  corner  of  the  plate);  your  individual 
class    letter    and    number,    also    your    name,    place    in    the 
right  corner.     Enclose  the  plate  in  mailing  tube  and  send 
it  to  the  Schools  for  correction. 


PLATE,  TITLE:  CONDENSED  EGYPTIAN 
8.  Practical  Application. —As  this  style  of  letter  is 
composed  of  plain,  straight,  and  curved  strokes,  exclusively, 
it  is  considered  by  letterers  to  be  the  simplest  form  of  letter 
to  construct,  aside  from  the  brush-stroke  alphabet.  It  is  a 
letter  quickly  made,  easily  learned,  and  most  profitable  to 
the  show-card  writer  for  all  general  purposes.  In  this  alpha- 
bet the  student  is  given  practice  in  outlining  letters,  and  an 
effort  is  made  to  develop  his  ability  to  carry  these  lines 


4  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

parallel  and,  at  the  same  time,  maintain  a  uniformity  in  the 
width  of  the  strokes.  This  practice  is  especially  necessary 
at  this  time,  and  of  great  advantage  to  the  student.  If  the 
outline  of  a  letter  be  correctly  made  in  this  respect,  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  fill  in  and  complete  the  letter.  This  Egyp- 
tian letter  is  said  to  be  normal  when  the  height  and  width 
are  equal.  The  card  writer  having  little  use  for  the  normal 
letter,  the  condensed  alphabet  has  been  chosen  for  study 
and  practice. 

CAPITALS 

9.  Spacing    the  [Lines    for    Capital    Letters.  —Con- 
struct a  rectangle  15  inches  long  by  9  inches  high,  leaving  a 
margin  2^  inches  on  either  side,  and  3  inches  from  the  bot- 
tom   edge   of   paper.     Beginning    on    the   left  vertical  line, 
measure  off  from  the  bottom  line  2  inches,  which  gives  the 
height  of  the  letters.     Allow  a  space  of  1  inch  between  the 
lines    of   letters   and   the   same   above   top   line   of   letters. 
The  height  of  the  letters  of  the  title  is  I  inch.    The  stroke 
of  the  capital  letter  is  f  inch  wide,  extreme  measurement. 
The  width  of  the  outline  is  -rV  inch. 

10.  Spacing  the  Letters. —Use  the  points  of  the  com- 
passes and  set  these  to  the  width  of  the  letter  //,  which  is 
li  inches  wide,  as  a  basis  of  measurement.     The  rounded 
letters   exceed  this  by  i  inch,  and  the  E  and  F  are  i  inch 
narrower.     As  absolute  accuracy  is  not  essential  in  the  pro- 
duction  of    the   show-card,  we  recommend  the    student    to 
observe   the  relative  width  of  letters  more   than  the   exact 
measurements.     For  this  reason  the  width  of  letters  will  be 
given  in  proportion  rather  than  in  inches,  or  fractional  parts 
of  an  inch,  using  the  width  of  a  stroke  in  determining  their 
limits.    The  letters  A  and  M  are  about  two-thirds  of  a  stroke 
wider  than  H\  the  letter  L  is  two-thirds  of  a  stroke  narrower. 
V  is  the  reverse  of  A,  and  therefore  of  the  same  width.     W 
is  two  strokes  wider,  and  X  and  Y  are  one-half  stroke  wider 
than  H.     Make   all   interspaces  equal,   or   as    nearly  so  as 
possible. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  5 

11.  The    Brush  Work. —Vertical  and    curved    strokes 
should  be  made  with  a  downward  movement  of  the  brush. 
Horizontal    strokes    should    be    drawn    from    left    to   right. 
Always   avoid  pushing  the  brush,   but  make   the    lines  by 
drawing  the  brush  to  a  point,  thus  keeping  the  hairs  of  the 
brush  together,  which  will  insure   a  perfect  line.     Use  the 
No.  5  red-sable  rigger.     Do  not  bear  on  it  when  drawing 
the  brush,  but  allow  the  point  of  the  brush  only  to  touch  the 
paper.     This  will  insure   a  uniform   stroke   of  the  required 
width,  and  make  a  line  most  suitable  to  the  size  and  style  of 
brush  used. 

It  is  necessary,  in  order  to  become  thoroughly  familiar 
with  each  style  of  alphabet  taught,  that  the  student  practice 
each  letter  a  number  of  times,  endeavoring  on  each  subse- 
quent trial  to  show  a  marked  improvement  on  former 
attempts.  Therefore,  do  not  consider  the  lesson  learned 
even  though  the  completed  plate  be  executed  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner,  and  has  even  merited  a  high  percentage. 
Continuous  practice  has  its  advantages  that  will  surely  bear 
fruit  when  the  student  makes  a  practical  application  of  the 
knowledge  he  has  acquired. 

12.  Details  of    the  Letters. —Note  carefully  the  fol- 
lowing important   points    in   regard  to   the  details    of    the 
letters,  so  that  when  given  an  inscription  wherein  this  par- 
ticular style  of  letter  may  be  used,  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  refer  to  the  copy  in  order  to  ascertain  the  correct  forma- 
tion of  the  letters: 

1.  The  cross-bar  of  the  letter  A  should  be    drawn  the 
width  of  a  stroke  above  the  base  line. 

2.  Make  all  outlines  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  num- 
bered in  the  first  three  letters  of  the  alphabet.    Other  letters 
may  be  made  by  referring  to  these,  for  in  them  is  embodied 
the  principle  on  which  all  letters  are  constructed. 

3.  The  middle  stroke  of  letters  E  and  F  is  one-half  the 
length  of  the  upper  stroke. 

4.  The  cross-bar  of  letter  H  is  one-half  stroke  above  the 
center  of  the  letter. 


6  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

5.  When  outlining  such  letters  as  H,  Af,  N,  and  IV, 
always  make  the  two  strokes  that  limit  the  width  of  the 
letter  first,  beginning  with  the  left  side.  When  drawing  a 
condensed  letter,  O  or  Q,  be  careful  to  make  the  space  within 

the  letter  elliptical. 

6.  The  lower  portion 
of  the  letter  .S*  is  made 
larger  than  the  upper, 
by  extending  the  stroke 
to  the  left  of  the  body 
FlG- 1  of  the  letter. 

7.  Always  keep  the  two  points  of  contact  that  occur  in 
the  outline  of  letters  M  and  H7  on  a  horizontal  line,  as 
shown  at  a  and  b,  Fig.  1.  One  is  inclined,  when  lettering 
freehand,  to  make  them  otherwise. 


LOWER  CASE  AND    NUMERALS 

13.  Spacing      the      Lines     for     Lower    Case    and 
Numerals. —Draw    the    rectangle    the    same    size    as    that 
required   for  the  capitals,   allowing   the    same   margin  also 
from   edge  of  paper.     Beginning  at  the  lower  left  corner, 
measure  off   on   vertical  lines   the  height  of  the  numerals, 
2  inches.     Then,  i  inch  above  this,  draw  another  line,  which 
gives  the  length  of  the  long-stroke  letters.     The  height  of 
the  lower-case  letters  is  li  inches;  including  the  long  strokes 
they   are   2  inches,  which    is  the   height   of   capitals.     The 
space    between    the    body   of   the    lines  of    lower   case  is 
If  inches.     The    titles    throughout    the    plates    are  f  inch 
high,  which   measurement  will  perhaps  not  be  referred  to 
again  during  your  Course. 

14.  Spacing   the    Letters.— The     general    width     of 
letters    is  ii  inch,   or  about  the   width  of    a  capital    letter 
less  the  width  of  one  stroke.     This  is  important  to  observe 
in  making  the  lower-case  letters,  especially  when  they  are 
combined  with  the  capitals  in  an  inscription.     The  width  of 
the  stroke   is  i  inch,   extreme    measurement.     The    space 
between  letters  is  equal  to  the  stroke  of  a  capital  letter. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  7 

The  space  between  rounded  letters  and  slanting-stroke 
letters  should  be  estimated  from  their  closest  points. 
The  total  area  between  letters  should  be  considered.  If 
this  be  equalized,  the  spacing  will  always  appear  accurate, 
even  though  some  letters  may  almost  touch  one  another  and 
others  be  removed  some  distance.  The  top  of  the  letter  w 
should  be  equal  in  width  to  the  letter  m  at  its  base.  These 
letters  are  two  strokes  wider  than  other  normal-width  letters. 
The  second  line  of  letters  is  li  inches  from  the  vertical  line 
on  either  side. 

15.  Spacing    the    Numerals.  —  The     stroke     of     the 
numerals  is  f  inch,  or  equal  to  that  of    the  capital  letters. 
The  width  of  the  numerals  is  If  inches,  using  the  maximum 
width  of  figure  2  as  a  basis  of  measurement.     The  rounded 
numerals  exceed  this  somewhat,  while  figure    7  is   a  trifle 
narrower   than   figure  2.     To    locate  these  in  their  proper 
places,  set  the  compasses  at  3  inches  and  divide  the  length 
of  the  line  of  numerals  into  5  spaces.     Divide  the  length  of 
the  copy  into  5   spaces  also,  making  them  2i  inches  each. 
It  is  then  an  easy  matter  to  space  the  numerals  accurately 
by  proportion. 

16.  Details  of  the  Letters. —The  width  of  the  outline 
in  the  lower-case  letters  is  made  a  trifle  less  than  that  of  the 
capitals.     The  same  brush  may  be  used,  however.    Note  the 
following  instruction  with  reference  to  the  details  of  letters: 

1.  The  middle  stroke  of  letter  a,  where  joined  to  the  ver- 
tical line,  is  on  an  incline  and  should  not  be  curved. 

2.  The  lower  portion  of  the  letter  g  should  be   a  little 
wider  than  the  upper  part.     Do  not  carry  this  to  either  side, 
but  always  place  it  directly  underneath  the  upper  part  of  the 
letter. 

3.  The  letter  /  is  the  only  letter  beveled  at  the  top  of 
the  stroke. 

4.  The  lower  extremity  of  the  stroke  of  the  letter  y  is 
carried  to  the  left  on  an  angle  of  about  45°. 

5.  The  middle  stroke  of  the  figure  4  is  a  full  stroke  below 
the  center  of  the  figure.     That  of  3,  5,  6',  8  is  about  one-half 


S  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

stroke  above  the  center  line,  and  that  of  the  9  is  one-half 
stroke  below  the  center. 

17.  Shading  of  the  Numerals. —It  is  our  purpose  to 
give  the  student  such  practice   as  will  not  only  familiarize 
him  with   the  letters,  but  enable  him  also  to  apply  the  dif- 
ferent forms  of  treatment  in  lettering,  as  well  as  shading-. 
For  that  reason,  we  require  him,  on  completing  the  outli- 
ning, to  shade  the  numerals  with  what  is  known  as  the  natural 
s/iade—the  plainest   shade  employed.     Use  the  water  color 
labeled  charcoal  gray;  rub  a  little  of  this  color  in  one  of  the 
water-color  dishes,  being    careful  to  make   the  shade  light 
rather  than   too    dark.     Use  the  No.  3  red-sable  Columbia, 
and  with  this  proceed  to  shade  the  figures.     Make  the  shade 
one-half  the  width  of  the  stroke  and  allow  a  space  between 
the  shade  and  outline  of  the  figure  of  a  little  more  than  the 
width  of  the  outline.     Make  the  shade  from  all  points  on  an 
angle  of  45°. 

PLATE,    TITLE:     HEAVY    EGYPTIAN 

18.  Practical    Application. —  No    style    of    letter    is 
better    suited    to    water-color    treatment    than    the    heavy 
Egyptian.     It  is  seldom  made  a  solid  letter  by  filling  in 
with  black,  but  is  usually  outlined,  and  the  space  within  the 
outlines  filled  in  with  transparent  water  colors.     Lower-case 
letters   or  numerals   never  accompany  it,   and  they   should 
never  be  used  in  connection  with  it. 

19.  Spacing   the    Lines. —Construct    a   rectangle,    as 
heretofore  instructed,  15  inches  long  by  9  inches  wide,  leav- 
ing equal  margins  on  either  side.     Beginning  at  the  lower 
left-hand  corner,  measure  off  on  the  vertical  line  the  height 
of  the  letters,  li  inches.     Above  this  point  lay  off  f  inch, 
the  width  of  space  between  the  lines  of  letters.     Repeat 
this  operation,   making  4  spaces   for  letters  and  3  spaces 
between  them. 

20.  Spacing  the   Letters. —The   width  of   the  letters 
generally   is   l£   inches,   using   the   letter  H  as   a  basis  of 


FIG.  2 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  9 

measurement.  The  rounded  letters,  such  as  O  and  Q,  are 
4  inch  wider  than  this,  and  none  are  narrower.  On  account 
of  the  eccentric  projections  that  occur  in  many  of  the  letters, 
the  student  must  proportion  the  width  of  the  letter  exclusive 
of  these,  recognizing  only  the  main  body  of  the  letter. 
There  are  many  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  governing 
the  width  of  letters  on  account  of  the  extreme  width  of  the 
stroke,  and  any  arbitrary  rule  relative  to  their  width  in  other 
alphabets  cannot  be  given  for  this.  Divide  the  plate,  as 
heretofore  suggested,  into  5  equal  spaces  of  3  inches  each; 
also  divide  the  copy  into  5  spaces  of  2i  inches;  this  will 
more  readily  indicate  the  proper  location  of  the  letters  and 
the  spaces  between  them. 

21.  The   Brush   Work.  —  Waterproof    India    ink    only 
should  be  used  on  plates  that  are  to  be  colored  with  water 
colors.      Use    the    No.   5  red-sable   brush,  'and,   when   out- 
lining, note  carefully  all  details  of  each  letter.     The  spurs 
should  be  needle-pointed.      The  end  of  strokes  are  curved 
somewhat,  thereby  giving  the  letter  a  more  graceful  appear- 
ance.     Make    the    vertical    lines    extend    their   full   length. 
Do  not  make  the  spur  large;  the  smaller  this  is,  the  better 
it  will  suit  this  style  of  letter.    Make  all  curves  symmetrical; 
do   not    exaggerate    them.      In   many  cases  they   are   only 
slight  ogee   curves.      Make    the    strokes   of   the    letters   of 
uniform  width. 

22.  Coloring  the  Letters.  —After  the  plate  has  been 
outlined   and  all  pencil  marks  erased,  color  the  letters,  as 
follows:  The  first  and  third  lines  may  be  colored  with  crimson 
lake,  and  the  second  and  fourth  with  new  green.     This  should 
be  done  by  using  two  shades  of  the  color.     When  necessary 
to   darken    green,    add   a   small   quantity   of    Prussian  blue. 
Letter  G,  Fig.  2,  shows  the  manner  in  which  the  water  colors 
may  be  laid  on.     First  make  a  light  shade  of  the  color,  using 
but  little  of  the  crimson  lake.     Flow  on  this  color,  covering 
the  entire  space  within  the  letter.     When  this  is  dry,  cover 
the  lower  portion  of  the  letter  with  a  darker  shade.     Draw  a 
horizontal  line  through  the  center  of  all  letters,  thus  making 


10  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

the  work  uniform  in  character.  A  broad  stripe  and  fine  line 
at  top  and  bottom  of  this,  made  of  a  darker  shade  of  the 
green,  produce  a  very  pleasing  effect  in  water-color  treat- 
ment. Stripe  the  second  and  fourth  lines,  therefore,  as 
shown  in  H  of  the  illustration. 


PLATE,   TITLE:    ECCENTRIC   EGYPTIAN 

23.  Practical    Application. —The  Eccentric   Egyp- 
tian, which  is  a  light-stroke  letter,  is  much  used  in  show- 
card  writing,  especially  for   small,  neat  white   letters   on  a 
black  card.     Where  a  large  amount  of  matter  is  contained 
on  a  card,  it  is  necessary  that   some  light-stroke  letter  be 
used.     Eccentric  Egyptian  is  a  style  quickly  made,  and,  in 
an  inscription,  presents  a  very  artistic  appearance. 

24.  Spacing     the     Lines.   --  Construct     a     rectangle 
15  inches  long  by  9  inches  wide,  allowing  an  equal  margin 
of  2£  inches  on  either   side.     Then,  beginning  at  the  left- 
hand  top  corner,  point  off  1   inch  from  the  top  line,  which 
gives  the  top  of  the  first  line  of  letters.     The  capitals  are 
li  inches  high  and  the  space  between  the  lines  of  letters 
-2  inch.     From   the  bottom  line  of  the  capitals  to  the  body 
of  the  lower-case  letters  is  f  inch.     The  lower-case   letters 
are  I  inch  high  and  the  space  between  the  lines  is  f  inch  also. 
The  long-stroke  letters  project  i  inch  above  and  f  inch  below 
the  body  of  the  letters. 

25.  Spacing  the  Letters.  —Divide  the  plate,  as  well  as 
the   copy,    into    5    equal    spaces,    as    recommended    in    the 
instruction  accompanying  the  heavy  Egyptian  letter.     Note 
carefully  all  details  of    letters  and  do    not   project    strokes 
beyond  the  limits  shown  in  the  copy.     The  general  width  of 
these  letters  is  \\  inches,  using  the  width  given  to  the  let- 
ter H.    Attention  is  called  to  the  unequal  spacing  of  the  final 
line  of  lower-case  letters.     This  is  due  to  the  letter  /  and  the 
tail-stroke  of   the   letter  g  coming  together  were    the  line 
spaced  strictly  according  to  rule.     Therefore,  make  letters 
equally  distant  from  the  margin  line,  which  is  3  inches. 


§4 


LETTER  FORMATION 


11 


FIG.  3 


26.  Uniformity  of    the  Letters.  —  The    formation   of 
the  letters   of    any  eccentric  alphabet  cannot  be    arbitrary. 
The  features  that  change  it  from  a  normal  to  an  eccentric 
letter  may  be  altered,  but,  when  this  is  done,  the  change 
should  exist  in  the  let- 
ters throughout  the  al- 
phabet.     For  example, 

the  letters  of  this  plate 
having  strokes  cut  off 
at  an  angle,  may  be  car- 
ried to  a  graceful  point, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  3.  The  main  point  to  be  observed  in 
making  eccentric  letters  is  to  make  the  letter  symmetrical 
and  well  balanced.  Do  not  form  a  letter  so  that  it  inclines 
to  the  right  or  left.  One  such  letter  destroys  the  appear- 
ance of  an  entire  line  of  well-proportioned  letters. 

27.  The  Brush    Work. -With  this   letter  the   student 
temporarily  leaves  the  work  of  outlining  to  execute  a  plain 
block,   or  solid,   letter.     He   has    therefore  to  observe   the 
uniform    width    of    the    stroke,    symmetrical    curves,    and 
perfectly  true  outline.      The  width  of  the  stroke  made  by 

the  brush  need  not  be  con- 
sidered so  long  as  the  edge 
of  the  letter  is  accurately 
made. 

Use  the  brush  previously 
used  for  outlining,  the  No.  5 
red-sable  rigger.  Draw  all 
outlines  in  the  order  required 
when  outlining. 

The  width  of  the  stroke  of 
capital  letters  is  A  inch;  of  lower  case,  i  inch.  If  this 
letter  be  made  on  a  black  or  dark-colored  card,  make  the 
stroke  of  the  capitals  i  inch  and  the  lower  case  somewhat 
less  than  this. 

In  Fig.  4  is  shown  the  effect  of  the  reduced  stroke  when 
this   style   of    letter  is  used  as   a  white  letter  on   a  black 


FIG.  4 


12  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

ground.     Note  also  the  comparative  height  of  the  capitals 
with  the  lower-case  letters. 

After  the  student  has  prepared  his  specimen  sheet  to  be 
sent  in  for  correction,  we  would  recommend  that  he  prepare 
the  same  alphabet,  using  a  black  cardboard  and  show-card 
writers'  white.  Make  this  as  accurately  as  possible,  and  in 
accordance  with  size  given  in  Fig.  4.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  this  be  sent  in  for  correction,  as  the  black-lettered  plate 
is  sufficient.  

PI, ATE,    TITLE:     FRENCH     ROMAN 

28.  Practical  Application. —There  is  no  style  of  let- 
ter more  generally  used  or  more  popular  with  the  show-card 
writer  than  French  Roman.  It  is  an  alphabet,  therefore, 
to  which  the  student  may  profitably  devote  much  extra  time, 
in  practicing  every  characteristic  detail,  in  order  that  he  may 
the  sooner  memorize  the  formation  of  each  letter  and  be 
able  to  execute  them  with  accuracy  and  speed. 


CAPITALS 

29.  Spacing  the  Lines  for  Capital  Letters. —Con- 
struct a  rectangle  of    the  usual  dimensions,    15   inches   by 
9  inches,  allowing  the  required  margin  of  2i  inches.      Then, 
beginning  at  the  lower  left-hand  corner,  measure  off  on  the 
vertical  line  li  inches,  the  height  of  the  letters,  and,  above 
this,  f  inch,  the  space  between  the  lines  of  letters.     Repeat 
this,  making  four  lines  with  3  spaces  between  them. 

30.  Spacing  the  Letters. —The  width  of  C,  D,  and  G 
is   \\   inches,   and  of   B,  E,  and  F  F  inch   less;   the   space 
between  C  and  D  is  one-half  their  width.     The  space  inclu- 
ding  the  panel  for  the  letter  A  from  the  left-hand  vertical 
line  to  the  stroke  of  the  letter  B  is  3  inches.     The  panel  for 
the  letter  A  extends  i  inch  above  and  below  the  line  for 
letters.     The  heavy  stroke  of  letter  is  ~h  inch  and  the  fine- 
line  stroke  is  i  inch  wide. 

31.  Width   of  the   Letters.  —  Exceptions  to  the  gen- 
eral width  of  letters  exist  in  this  alphabet  in  a  somewh.-it 


S4  LETTER  FORMATION  13 

exaggerated  form.  The  letters  M,  O,  and  Q  are  one  stroke 
wider  than  //,  which  is  always  chosen  as  a  basis  of  measure- 
ment. The  letter  W  is  li  times  wider  than  the  H.  In  pro- 
portioning the  width  of  letters,  the  one  point  to  be  remem- 
bered is,  that  all  letters  should  be  given  a  comparatively 
equal  width  that  will  make  them  appear  uniform  and  sym- 
metrical. For  this  reason  arbitrary  measurements  in  regard 
to  each  particular  letter  are  not  given;  neither  is  it  expected 
that  a  student  will  study  the  exact  width,  but  rather  be  guided 
in  the  measurements  by  observing  their  relative  width.  This 
is  accomplished  by  setting  the  compasses  to  the  width  of  the 
standard  letter  H  and  using  this  width  for  comparison. 

32.  The  Brush  Work.— Use  the  No.  5  red-sable  rigger 
for  cutting  in  the  letter  A  as  well  as  for  outlining  the  letters. 
India  ink    should   be  used  for  outlining    this    Plate.     It  is 
necessary  in  this  alphabet  to  mark 

out  the  letters  carefully  before 
beginning  on  the  brush  work. 
Points  to  be  observed  in  making 
the  letters  are:  Do  not  curve  the 
outline  that  forms  the  spur,  but 
make  it  angular;  make  all  strokes 
parallel;  in  making  crescent 
strokes,  the  maximum  width  of 
the  stroke  is  at  point  a  of  Fig.  5, 

the  width  gradually  diminishing  until  point  b  is  reached; 
always  make  the  space  within  the  letters  C,  O,  and  Q  elliptical; 
make  the  ends  of  the  spurs  needle-pointed;  make  all  strokes 
uniform  in  width,  and  merge  all  wide  strokes  into  the  nar- 
row ones  gracefully,  being  careful  to  make  both  outlines 
symmetrical. 

33.  Details  of  the  Letters.  —  In  letter  A  is  shown  a 
modification  of  the  letter  sometimes  identified  with  this  alpha- 
bet.    The  normal  letter  is  the  reverse  of  the  letter  V,  with  a 
cross-bar  located  about  one  and  one-half  strokes  above  the 
base  line  of  the  letter.     The  letter  C  may  be  finished  as  in 
copy,  with  the  lower  stroke  corresponding  with  the  upper,  or 


14  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

it  may  be  brought  to  a  point  above  the  bottom  line.  The 
point  where  the  strokes  in  letter  M  join  may  be  raised  or 
lowered.  The  essential  point  to  be  observed  is  that  it  should 
always  be  located  midway  between  the  vertical  inner  lines. 
The  tail  of  the  letter  Q  may  also  be  made  as  shown  in  Fig:.  •">• 


LOWER    CASE 

34.  Spacing    the    Lines   for    Lower-Case    Letters. 

The  lower-case  letters  are  included  in  a  rectangle  the  same 
size  as  that  required  for  the  capitals.  Beginning  at  the 
lower  left-hand  corner,  measure  off  on  the  vertical  line 
\  inch  from  the  bottom  line,  which  gives  the  base  line  for 
the  lower-case  letters.  These  are  £  inch  high;  IT  inch  above 
this  gives  the  base  line  for  the  numerals.  The  numerals  are 
li  inches  in  height,  and  the  space  between  the  lines  is  £  inch. 
The  distance  from  the  top  line  of  numerals  to  the  base  of  the 
first  line  of  lower-case  letters  is  f  inch.  The  height  of  the 
lower-case  letters  is  the  same  throughout  the  alphabet. 
To  design  the  scroll,  draw  a  vertical  line  through  the  center 
of  the  rectangle  7i  inches  from  either  end.  Measuring  from 
the  base  of  the  first  line  of  lower-case  letters,  point  off  on 
the  vertical  line  just  drawn  li  inches;  4  inches  below  this 
place  another  point,  which  gives  the  height  of  the  scroll. 
The  extreme  length  is  7  inches,  or  3|  inches  to  the  left  and 
ST  inches  to  the  right  of  the  vertical  line.  The  letters  on 
the  scroll  are  f  inch  high.  They  are  located  I  inch  from  the 
top  of  the  scroll  and  I  inch  from  the  bottom. 

To  describe  the  curves  of  the  scroll  as  well  as  of  the  let- 
ters, find  a  point  5f  inches  above  the  scroll  and  i  inch  to  the 
right  of  the  center  vertical  line. 

35.  Details  of  the  Letters. —The  width  of  the  verti- 
cal strokes  is  -&•  inch.     The  width  of  the  fine-line  stroke  is 
one-half  that  of  the  heavy,  or  vertical,  stroke.     The  outline 
of  the  lower-case  letters  is  somewhat  lighter  than  that  of  the 
capitals  or  numerals. 

In  drawing  the  letters,  note  carefully  that  the  spurs  at  the 
top  of  the  vertical  strokes  are  rounded  in  the  lower-case 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  15 

letters.  These  strokes"  are  cut  off  on  an  angle  of  about  45°. 
The  letters  of  the  ornamental  scroll  are  a  modification  of  the 
normal,  differing  in  the  a  and  d\  also,  the  capital  D.  In 
the  former  the  stroke  is  inclined,  which  changes  the  character 
of  the  letter.  In  the  capital  D  the  upper  stroke  is  carried 
beyond  the  vertical,  which  is  a  form  of  treatment  often  used 
in  this  style  of  letter.  The  width  of  stroke  in  this  letter  is 
i  inch. 

36.  The  Brush  Work.— Use  the  same  brush  as  that 
used  in  outlining  the  capital  letters.  After  completing  the 
outlining,  and  having  erased  all  pencil  marks,  the  scroll  may 
be  colored  and  shaded  as  follows:  Use  charcoal  gray  for 
shading.  Make  a  tint  that  will  be  equal  in  strength  to  the 
shade  on  the  copy,  that  is,  produced  with  fine  lines.  Place 
the  shade  on  the  left,  in  the  manner  shown.  After  this  has 
dried,  color  the  scroll  with  mauve  purple.  This  should  be 
done  with  care,  in  order  that  a  large  surface  may  be  covered 
evenly  and  not  show  streaks.  Rub  up  this  color  in  one  of 
the  small  dishes.  Keep  the  shade  light  at  first.  Flow  on  the 
color  copiously,  using  a  large  brush.  When  this  has  dried, 
another  coat  may  be  flowed  on  if  the  first  coat  appears  too 
light  when  dry.  Shade  the  letters  on  the  scroll  with  a  darker 
shade  of  the  same  color.  Keep  the  shade  on  an  angle  of 
45°,  leaving  a  narrow  space  between  the  shade  and  outline. 
The  width  of  the  shade  should  be  i  inch. 


PLATE,    TITLE:    ROMAN 

37.     Practical  Application. —As  the  Roman  letter  is 

one  that  never  changes  in  character,  being  a  fundamental 
alphabet,  or  prototype,  from  which  many  modifications  arise, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  student  should  possess  a  knowledge 
of  its  formation.  Roman  letters  are  used  extensively  in 
show-card  writing,  especially  for  headlines,  important  words, 
etc.  They  are  also  subject  to  extensive  treatment  in  color- 
ing and  shading,  and  in  no  style  of  letter  is  the  skill  of  the 
letterer  more  apparent  than  in  the  graceful  and  symmetrical 
curves  of  the  Roman  alphabet. 


16 


LETTER  FORMATION 


§4 


CAPITALS 

38.  Spacing  the  Lines  for  Capital  Letters. —Con- 
struct the  rectangle  the  size  used  on  former  plates,  9  inches 
by   15   inches.     Beginning   at  the  bottom   line,  draw  eight 
horizontal  lines,  allowing  li  inches  for  each  line  of  letters 
and  f  inch  for  the  space  between  the  lines  of  letters. 

39.  Designing    the    Letters.— The     letters     of     the 
normal    Roman    should    be    equal    in    height    and    width, 
although    the    letter   may   be    greatly    condensed    in    width 
when  it  is  necessary  that  they  should  be  so  treated.     The 
width  of  the  vertical  stroke  is  f  inch,  and  the  crescent  strokes 
are  somewhat  wider  than  this.     The  spurs  project  one-half 
the  width  of  the  stroke  beyond  it,  and  these  should  be  one- 
fourth  of  a  circle,  as  shown  in  Fig.  6.     The  pointed  stroke 
of  the  letter  M  may  rest  on  the  base  line,  or  may  be  made 
one-half  stroke  above  it.     This  letter  should  be  one  stroke 


FIG.  6 


FIG.  7 


wider  than  letters  generally;  the  L  and  N  are  slightly  nar- 
rower than  the  //,  although  they  do  not  appear  to  be  so. 
The  tail  of  letter  R  should  be  maintained  in  a  vertical 
position  and  should  be  a  perfect  cyma.  To  construct  the 
cyma,  make  the  maximum  width  in  the  center  of  the  figure 
and  diminish  it  gradually  in  either  direction,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  7. 

Note  the  following  details  in  drawing  the  letters:  The 
middle  fine  line  of  the  letters  B,  E,  F,  and  H  is  one-half 
stroke  above  the  center  of  the  letter.  The  lower  portion  of 
the  letter  C  projects  beyond  the  upper  spur.  The  spur  of 
the  letter  G  is  directly  above  the  center  of  the  vertical 
stroke.  Curves  are  necessary  to  give  symmetry  to  the  ball 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  17 

in  letter  T\  also,  in  the  character  &.  The  upper  spur  of  the 
letter  5  is  about  one-half  stroke  within  the  limits  of  the  body 
of  the  letter,  while  the  lower  spur  projects  the  same  distance 
beyond  it. 

40.  The  Brusli  Work. -Use  the  same  brush  thus  far 
used.  Note  carefully  the  order  in  which  the  strokes  of  the 
first  three  letters  are  drawn.  Draw  the  extreme  outlines  of 
letters  in  every  case,  after  which  the  details  may  be  com- 
pleted. The  spurs  may  be  drawn  to  a  needle  point,  as 
shown  in  the  copy,  or  they  may  be  finished  by  leaving  the 
end  of  the  spur  the  thickness  of  the  outline. 

Draw  the  vertical  lines  to  which  are  attached  the  spurs, 
commencing  about  the  width  of  a  stroke  from  the  top  line  and 
leaving  off  the  same  distance  above  the  base  line.  The  spurs 
may  then  be  drawn  and  joined  to  the  vertical  line. 


LOWER    CASE    AND    NUMERALS 

41.  Spacing  Lower-Case  Letters.  — In  order  to  give 
the  student  the  advantage  of  practice  in  the  various  forms 
of  arrangement  in  drawing  the  plates,  they  have  been  pre- 
pared along  such  lines  as  will  give  him  practical  examples 
that  may  be  readily  applied  in  show-card  writing.  To  place 
the  lower-case  letters  on  parallel  ogee  lines,  draw  a  rectangle 
15  inches  by  9  inches,  and  divide  this  into  5  equal  spaces 
horizontally.  Beginning  at  the  left,  number  the  four  vertical 
lines  drawn.  Then,  from  the  bottom  line  of  the  rectangle, 
measure  off  on  line  1  the  points  that  will  give  the  position 
of  the  long  line  of  the  ornament,  the  height  of  the  lines  of 
lower-case  letters  and  numerals;  also,  the  position  of  the 
ogee  curves.  These  points  are  as  follows:  i,  li,  3f,  3f, 
6,  7,  and  8f  inches.  The  points  at  3f  inches  and  5^  inches 
give  the  height  of  the  numerals;  points  at  3f  inches  and 
8i  inches  the  top  line  of  ornament.  The  points  on  line  2 
are  I,  li,  6i,  and  7i  inches;  on  line  3,  lA,  2-nr,  7,  and 
8  inches;  on  line  4,  lH,  2H,  5i,  7i,  and  Si  inches.  The 
point  at  5i  inches  gives  the  lower  line  for  the  ornament; 
that  of  the  other  ornament  rests  on  the  base  line  of  the 


18  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

rectangle.  From  the  points  given,  first  draw  the  two  lines 
for  the  numerals;  then  draw  two  symmetrical  ogee  curves 
through  the  points  given.  The  long  strokes  project  ^  inch 
above  and  below  the  line.  The  letter  g  is  f  inch  below. 
It  is  necessary  to  draw  but  one  line  for  the  long-stroke 
letters  — the  one  above  the  first  line  of  letters.  The  length 
of  other  long  letters  may  be  measured  separately. 

To  space  the  letters  of  this  plate,  note  their  position  in 
regard  to  the  vertical  lines,  and  locate  them  on  the  specimen 
sheet  accordingly. 

42.  Designing  the  Letters.—  Do  not  incline  the  let- 
ters to  follow  the  curve,  but  make  every  letter  vertical.  The 
curved  finish  in  the  letters  a,  b,  etc.  at  the  base  should  not 
be  exaggerated,  but  made  small  to  correspond  with  the  size 
of  the  spur.  In  constructing  the  outline  of  the  character  2, 
and  in  all  similar  instances,  the  strokes  of  greatest  length 
are  made  first.  In  drawing  the  lower  stroke  of  figure  7,  the 
right  outline  should  be  made  first.  The  cyma  stroke  of 
figure  8  should  be  one-half  stroke  above  the  center.  The 
lower  outline  of  the  cyma  stroke  should  be  made  first. 

After  the  letters  and  the  numerals  of  the  plate  have  been 
finished  and  the  pencil  marks  erased,  draw  the  freehand  lines 
that  compose  the  ornament.  For  this,  use  the  orange  ver- 
milion water  color.  The  long  lines  should  be  drawn  first. 
These  are  parallel.  They  should  be  brought  to  a  needle 
point  on  the  inner  end  and  given  added  thickness  at  the 
curved  end.  Having  drawn  these,  the  other  lines  may  be 
added.  The  manner  in  which  these  should  be  drawn  is 
indicated  by  the  arrows  in  the  top  ornament. 


PLATE,  TITLE:  TRANSPARENT  COLOR  \VO1JK 
43.  Advantages  of  Color  Work.  —A  knowledge  of  the 
methods  of  handling  colors  in  show-card  writing  is  invaluable, 
and  the  benefit  derived  from  this  is  obvious.  Show-cards 
are  made  more  attractive  through  coloring,  and  the  writer's 
taste  is  gratified  by  artistically  embellishing  a  piece  of  work 
by  the  use  of  harmonious  colors  properly  applied.  The 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  19 

examples  given,  therefore,  are  such  as  the  student  will  find 
most  profitable  for  all  practical  purposes. 

44.  Spacing     the     Letters. —Construct     a     rectangle 
14  inches  by  9  inches,  or,  1  inch  shorter  than  previous  plates. 
On  this  locate  the  words  and  single  letters  as  follows:     iinch 
above  the  line  forming  the  base  of  rectangle  gives  the  base  line 
for  the  word  Charter.     The  lower-case  letters  of  this  word  are 
H  inches  high,  the  capital  C  is  3  inches.      Measuring  from 
the  base  line  of  the  rectangle,  the  ribbon  is  82*  inches,  and 
the  height  of  the  ribbon  is  2i  inches.      The  letters  G  and  M 
are  f  inch  above  the  ribbon,  and  are  2A  inches  high.     The 
letters    W  and  O  are   li  inches  above  the  ribbon,  and  are 
li2^  inches  high.     The  extreme  width  of  the  letters  G  and  M, 
exclusive  of  the  spurs,  is  2%  inches.    The  letter  £Fis  3  inches 
wide,  including  the  spurs;  the  letter  O,  2i  inches.     The  word 
tires  on  the  ribbon  is  li  inches  high,  or  f  inch  from  the  top 
and  bottom  edges.     The  word  the  is  f  inch  from  the  base  of 
the  rectangle.       The  capital   letter  is   It   inches  high;   the 
lower-case,  i  inch.    The  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  ribbon 
is  2i  inches  from  the  vertical  line  of  the  rectangle,  and  the 
upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  ribbon  is  the  same  distance 
from  the  right-"_and  vertical  line. 

45.  Designing  the  Letters. —Attention   is  especially 
called   to  the  width  of  strokes  in  the  letters  of  this  plate. 
They  are  made  extremely  heavy  in  order  that  the  letter-face 
treatment  may  be  better  shown.     First  draw  the  outlines  of 
the  letter;  also  the  ribbon.     The  letters  C.  B.  &  Co.  may  be 
approximated  in  regard  to  height  and  location.     The  letters 
on  the  ribbon  incline  with  the  edge  or  fold,  while  the  letters 
of  the  word  Charter  incline  on  an  angle  of  about  40°. 

46.  Coloring    the    Plate.— After  the    plate    has    been 
carefully  designed,  and  before  outlining  with  black,  the  blend- 
ing on  the  ribbon  should  be  done.     For  this,  use  Prussian 
blue  and  chrome  yellow.     First  erase  the  pencil  marks  on 
the  ribbon  with  the  sponge  eraser,  leaving  only  faint  guide 
lines  for  the  letters.     Then,  before  blending,  wet  the  portion 
of  the  ribbon  occupied  by  the  letters  with  clear  water,  and, 


20  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

before  tms  has  been  entirely  absorbed  by  the  paper,  cover 
the  entire  space  with  a  light  shade  of  yellow  at  the  top  and 
blue  at  the  bottom,  leaving  the  center  of  the  letter  white. 
When  this  is  dry,  proceed  to  letter  the  plate,  beginning  with 
letter  W.  Follow  the  letters  of  the  copy  carefully  in  every 
characteristic  detail.  In  cutting  in  the  word  tires,  be  careful 
that  you  do  not  run  the  black  on  the  space  to  be  occupied  by 
letters,  or  on  open  spaces  at  the  edge  of  the  ribbon.  When 
the  plate  has  been  outlined  and  the  black  brush  work  entirely 
completed,  use  the  sponge  eraser  and  remove  all  pencil 
marks  preparatory  to  coloring  the  balance  of  the  work. 

Now  color  the  edges  of  the  ribbon,  using  a  yellow  on  the 
top  edge  somewhat  stronger  than  that  used  on  the  letter; 
likewise,  a  stronger  blue  on  the  lower  edge.  Fill  in  the  entire 
space  within  the  letters  C.  B.  &  Co.  with  a  tint  made  from 
crimson  lake.  Use  the  same  color  and  make  a  shade  of 
medium  strength  for  the  lower  half  of  the  letters.  When 
dry,  add  another  still  deeper  shade  at  the  bottom  of  the  let- 
ters. Fill  in  all  letters  before  beginning  with  the  shading. 
The  colors  used  are  as  follows:  For  the  letter  IV  use  a  tint 
made  from  burnt  sienna;  for  the  darkest  shade  on  the  face  of 
this  letter,  blue  to  sienna.  The  same  colors  are  also  used  to 
fill  in  the  letters  of  the  word  Charter.  The  color  on  which  the 
filigree  ornament  is  placed  is  the  same  as  that  used  for  sha- 
ding the  word  Charter,  and  is  made  of  orange  chrome  yellow 
and  sienna.  A  little  red  and  sienna  are  added  to  this  of  suf- 
ficient strength  to  make  the  filigree  ornament.  New  green 
is  used  on  the  face  of  the  letter  G  with  two  darker  shades 
made  of  the  same  color,  to  which  Prussian  blue  is  added  for 
the  diminishing  ellipses.  The  shade  farthest  from  the  letter  is 
called  the  natural  shade,  and  is  made  from  charcoal  gray, 
with  a  little  orange  chrome  added.  The  two  inner  shades  arc 
made  from  burnt  umber.  The  space  between  the  shade  and 
the  letter  is  filled  in  with  a  tint  made  from  orange  chrome. 
The  letter  M  is  filled  in  with  mauve  purple,  and  shaded  with 
darker  shades  of  this  color  so  as  to  give  the  ornamental  cen- 
ter of  the  letter  a  relief  effect.  The  shades  of  the  letter,  aside 
from  the  natural  shade,  are  made  of  burnt  sienna.  The  upper 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  21 

portion  of  the  letter  O  is  the  same  tint  as  that  used  on  the  let- 
ter IV.  The  lower  portion  is  made  from  sienna  and  orange 
chrome.  The  ornament  is  filled  in  with  an  orange-chrome 
tint.  The  shade  on  this  letter,  as  well  as  the  ribbon  and 
adjoining  letters,  is  made  from  charcoal  gray;  this  is  called  a 
double  shade.  The  shade  from  letters  C.  B.  &  Co.  is  a  cast 
shadow,  being  in  reality  a  repetition  of  the  letter  on  the  back- 
ground, as  shown  in  Show-Card  Writing,  Fig.  19.  In  shading 
the  letters,  make  the  shading,  as  well  as  the  space  between 
the  shade  and  the  letter,  uniform  in  width. 


PLATE,   TITLE:    ECCENTRIC  ROMAN 

47.  Practical  Application.  —The  Eccentric  Roman, 

as  well  as  the  Heavy  Egyptian,  is  best  adapted  for  water- 
color  treatment,  because  the  extreme  width  of  stroke  gives 
sufficient  area  within  the  outline  of  the  letter  for  a  variety  in 
the  coloring.  When  a  lower-case  letter  is  required  to  be  used 
in  connection  with  this  alphabet,  the  lower  case  of  the  Roman 
may  be  used.  The  stroke  of  this  letter,  however,  should  be 
li  times  the  width  of  the  normal  Roman  lower  case,  which 
makes  it  conform  to  the  stroke  of  this  extreme  letter. 

48.  Spacing  the  Lines. —This  alphabet  is  also  drawn 
within  a  rectangle  9  inches  by  15  inches.     The  letters  are 
li  inches  in  height  and  the  space  between  the  lines  of  letters 
is  f  inch. 

49.  Spacing    the    Letters.— The    width   of    letter   D, 
which  may  be  taken  for  a  basis  of  measurement,  is  \\  inches. 
The  width  of  the  vortical  stroke  is  f  inch.     Use  the  method 
recommended  in  previous  plates.     Divide  the  specimen  copy 
into  five  equal  vertical  spaces,  3  inches  wide,  and  also  the 
copy  into  an  equal  number  of  spaces  2j  inches  wide;  then 
arrange  the  letters  in  the  drawing  in  their  relative  position 
to  those  on  the  copy.     It  is  necessary  in  spacing  all  letters 
to  have  them  appear  as  nearly  equal  in  width  as  possible, 
allowing    additional    space  for    letters    that    are    always    of 
exceptional  width;  namely,  the  M  and  IV.     Aside  from  this, 
it  is  not  essential  that  a  show-card  writer  should  give  the 


22  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

subject  of  the  proportion  of  letters  in  each  alphabet  further 
consideration. 

50.  The  Brush  Work.— Use  the  brush  that  has  thus 
far  been  used  in  lettering  previous  plates.  The  outline 
should  be  iV  inch  wide,  or  the  stroke  that  is  most  suited  to 
the  size  of  brush  — a  line  that  may  be  made  without  bearing 
heavily  on  the  brush.  Make  every  curve  graceful  and  sym- 
metrical. When  making  the  outline  that  forms  the  inside  of 
the  letter,  great  care  should  be  exercised  to  not  only  form 
the  stroke  properly,  but  to  make  the  space  within  the  letter 
true  and  regular.  The  feature  shown  in  the  lower  stroke  of 
the  letter  E  is  the  cutlas  of  the  loth  century,  which  was  first 
employed  as  a  characteristic  in  letter  formation  in  the 
German  Renaissance  of  that  period. 

In  finishing  the  plate,  after  it  has  been  outlined,  fill  in  the 
letters  and  shade  them  as  shown  in  Fig.  8.  To  do  this,  first 
fill  in  the  letters  with  orange  chrome,  being  careful  to  keep 
the  color  light,  as  this  is  one  of  the  strong  colors  and  but 
very  little  is  necessary.  Moisten  up  some  of  the  color  in 
one  of  the  water-color  dishes,  and  test  its  strength  before 
applying.  When  the  proper  shade  has  been  secured,  flow 
the  color  on  with  the  No.  3  short  red-sable  Columbia. 
The  cymas  that  form  the  ornament  on  the  face  of  the  letter 
are  made  with  the  same  brush,  the  color  used  for  this  being 
burnt  sienna.  Shade  the  letters  with  charcoal  gray,  making 
the  first  shade  one-half  the  width  of  the  stroke.  When  this 
is  dry,  use  a  stronger  shade  of  the  same  color  and  apply 
it  on  the  first  shade,  evenly  dividing  the  width,  thus  leaving 
a  space  between  the  letter  and  the  shade  equal  to  the  width 
of  one  shade  of  the  letter. 


PLATE,   TITLE:    OGEE-CURVE   STROKE 
5 1 .     Practical  Application.  —  The  Ogee-Curve  Stroke 

serves  the  same  purpose  in  show-card  writing  as  the  eccentric 
styles  of  letters.  It  is  not  intended  for  general  utility,  but,  in 
order  to  give  variety  to  an  inscription,  it  is  often  used.  The 
versatility  of  the  letterer  is  shown  as  much  by  his  ability  to 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  23 

employ  that  style  of  letter  most  fitting  to  the  inscription  as 
by  his  knowledge  of  a  large  number  of  different  alphabets. 
The  style  of  letter  under  consideration  is  most  graceful, 
quickly  made,  and  subject  to  eccentric  treatment,  when  a 
student  has  become  familiar  with  the  normal  forms  of 
the  letters. 

CAPITALS 

52.  Spacing   the    Lines  for   Capital   Letters. —The 

rectangle  enclosing  the  letters  is  9  inches  by  15  inches. 
The  letters  are  li  inches  high,  and  the  space  between  the 
lines  of  letters  is  I  inch.  The  approximate  width  of  this 
letter,  using  the  letter  H  for  the  basis  of  measurement,  is 
If  inches.  The  compasses  may  be  set  at  this  width,  and 
the  space  for  the  letters  pointed  off  on  the  base  line,  or  a 
line  drawn  horizontally  through  the  center  of  the  letters. 
The  width  of  the  stroke  is  f  inch.  The  letters  are  inclined 
on  an  angle  of  20°. 

53.  The   Brush  Work.— This  letter  is  made  of  ogee 
curves,  and,  therefore,  before  lettering  the  plate,  the  student 
should  practice  making  this  curve  until  he  is  able  to  make 
it  symmetrical;  also,  to  place  several  ogee  lines  side  by  side 
and  have  them  parallel.     The  curve  should  not  be  exagger- 
ated, but  should  be  slight,  curving  the  line  to  the  right  above 
the  center  of  the  letter  and  to  the  left  below  it. 

The  lines  in  many  of  the  letters  are  exceptions  to  the 
general  feature  that  characterizes  this  letter.  Some  of 
these,  as  in  A  and  H,  are  straight  lines,  while  others,  as  in 
A^K,M,  N,  Y,  and  the  character  4,  are  circular  arcs.  Use  the 
No.  5  red-sable  brush;  make  the  stroke  somewhat  lighter  than 
that  of  Eccentric  Roman.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  in 
merging  the  outlines  of  the  stroke  into  the  fine  line,  to  make 
the  outline  symmetrical  and  not  show  an  additional  thickness 
in  the  outline  at  this  point.  There  is  no  spur  attached  to  the 
corners  of  the  strokes;  the  corners  should  therefore  be  made 
with  as  sharp  an  angle  as  possible. 

Observe  the  details  of  each  letter  closely  and  endeavor  to 
reproduce  them  precisely  like  the  copy.  In  doing  this,  the 


24  LETTER  FORMATION  *4 

following  few  suggestions  will  be  found  profitable:  Many  of 
the  strokes  in  letters  of  this  alphabet  extend  beyond  the 
limits  of  normal  letters.  It  is  well,  therefore,  in  order  to 
reproduce  such  features  in  proportion  to  those  of  the  copy, 
to  note  their  length,  using  the  width  of  the  stroke  as  a  basis 
of  measurement.  For  example,  the  lower  stroke  of  the 
letter  5*  projects  one  and  one-third  strokes  to  the  left  of  the 
upper  portion  of  the  heavy  stroke,  measuring  from  a  line 
drawn  tangent  to  this  at  an  angle  of  20°. 

Do  not  enlarge  or  exaggerate  the  double-line  thickness  on 
the  end  of  all  fine  lines.  It  is  a  feature  that  characterizes 
this  form  of  alphabet,  and  to  enlarge  on  this  would  entirely 
change  the  general  appearance  of  the  letters. 

Give  to  every  curved  stroke  a  free-hand  graceful  curve. 
Do  not  permit  this  to  appear  broken  or  distorted,  thereby 
throwing  the  letter  out  of  balance.  Shortening  or  lengthen- 
ing a  line  more  than  the  required  length  will  cause  the  letter 
to  incline  to  the  right  or  left. 


LOWER    CASE 

54.  Spacing    the    Lines    for    Lower-Case    Letters. 

Construct  a  rectangle  9  inches  by  15  inches.  Beginning  at 
the  lower  left-hand  corner,  measure  off  on  the  vertical  line 
2i  inches,  which  gives  the  top  of  the  bottom  line  of  lower- 
case letters.  These  letters  are  1  inch  high.  Between  the 
lines  of  letters  there  is  a  space  of  li  inches.  The  character 
$  is  2  inches  high,  and  the  character  t  is  If  inches.  The 
long  strokes  project  i  inch  above  the  body  of  lower-case 
letters,  while  the  letters  that  project  below  the  base  line  are 
of  various  lengths,  which  should  be  determined  with  refer- 
ence to  their  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  body  of  the 
letter,  as  shown  on  the  copy. 

55.  Spacing  the  Letters.  —  The  incline  of  the  lower- 
case letters  is  20°,  or  the  same  as  that  of  the  capitals.     The 
stroke  is  i  inch  wide,  while  the  width  of  the  outline  is  the 
same  as  that  of  the  capital  letters.     In  spacing  the  top  line 
of  letters,  a  space  of  -J  inch  should  be  allowed  between  the 


FIG.  8 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  25 

vertical  rectangle  lines  and  the  first  and  last  letters.  At 
either  end  of  the  lower  line  1  inch  space  should  be  allowed. 
This  will  permit  a  uniform  space  between  letters  and  also 
give  the  proper  width  to  each. 

56.  The  Brush  Work.  —Use  the  same  brush  as  was  used 
for  the  capitals.  The  ogee  line  curves  either  way  from  the 
center  of  the  letter,  which  is  true  of  the  long  strokes,  such  as 
b,  /,/,  etc.,  as  well  as  the  1-inch  letters.  Many  of  the  letters  of 
the  lower-case  alphabet  are  identical  with  the  capitals,  while 
others  are  characteristically  different  from  all  other  styles  of 
lower-case  letters,  such  as  the  g  and  y.  Note  the  curves  of 
these  last-mentioned  letters,  and  study  to  give  to  them,  as 
well  as  to  all  letters,  the  same  incline  and  general  appearance. 


PIRATE,     TITLE:      SQUARE    ENGLISH 

57.     Practical    Application. —The    Square    English 

letter  is  simple  in  construction,  and,  when  the  characteristic 
features  that  exist  throughout  the  alphabet  are  understood, 
this  form  of  alphabet  becomes  as  easy  to  make  as  the 
simplest  letter  in  the  Course.  A  chisel-shaped  brush,  such 
as  a  square  shader,  or  the  automatic  shading  pens,  may  be 
used  to  the  best  advantage  when  the  letter  is  to  be  made 
solid.  It  may  thus  be  made  with  accuracy  and  also  with 
rapidity.  Its  chief  qualifications  that  recommend  its  use  in 
show-card  writing  are,  that  a  line  of  letters  formed  from 
this  alphabet  presents  a  studied  uniformity  in  appearance; 
also,  that  the  letters  may  be  colored  and  shaded  with  very 
little  work,  which  is  an  advantage  to  be  considered. 


CAPITALS 

58.  Spacing  the  Lines  for  Capital  Letters. —Con- 
struct a  rectangle  of  the  usual  size,  9  inches  by  15  inches. 
The  base  line  for  the  last  line  of  letters  rests  on  the  line 
enclosing  the  rectangle.  The  letters  are  li  inches  in  height, 
and  the  spaces  between  the  lines  of  letters  are  f  inch. 


26  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

59.  Spacing    the    Letters.  —  The    second    and    fourth 
lines   are  indented  2f  inches  from  the  vertical  line   of    the 
rectangle   on  the  left,  while  the  first  and  third  lines  finish 
about    ll  inches   from    the    right-hand    vertical    line.     The 
letters  are  If  inches  wide,  and  the  stroke  is  TUB  inch.     The 
letter  B  is  3   inches   from   the   vertical   line.     The   filigree 
ornament  extends  f  inch  above  the  rectangle.     A  space  of 
If  inches,  or  equal  to  the  width  of  the  letter  M,  should  be 
left  between  the  letter  Z  and  character  &. 

60.  The  Brush  Work. —  First,  make  the  letter  A  solid, 
as  shown  in  the  copy;  then  proceed  to  ornament  it  by  follow- 
ing the  longest  curved  lines,  after  which  the  shorter  lines 
may  be  made.     The  outline  of  the   letters  should  be  made 
heavy  or  iV  inch  wide.     The  beveled  stro'ke  that  occurs  at 
the  left  of  the  top,  and  at  the  right  of  the  base  of  the  vertical 
strokes,  should  begin  at  a  point  opposite  the  outline  of  the 
stroke  and  should  be  carried  at  an  angle  of  about  40°  to  a 
point  almost  equal  to  the  width  of  the   stroke.     The   spur 
opposite  this  angle  should  be  small  and  sharp-pointed. 

61.  Coloring  the  Letters.  —  When  the  plate  has  been 
outlined  and  all  pencil  marks  erased,  proceed  to  color  and 
shade  the  work.     Fill  in  the  letters  with  a  medium  shade  of 
crimson  lake  water  color.     After  this  is  dry,  fill  in  the  lower 
half  of    the  letter  with  a  darker   shade  of    the  same  color, 
cutting  off  the  color  on  a  horizontal  line  in  the  center  of  the 
letter.     Cover  over  the  entire  filigree  ornament  with  a  light 
shade  of  chrome  yellow,  extending  this  about  »  inch  beyond 
the  lines  of  the  ornament.     Shade  the  letters,  exclusive  of 
the  letter  A,  with  charcoal  gray.     Make  the  shade  the  width 
of  the  open  space  of  the  stroke,  and  leave  a  space  between 
the  shade  and  the  outline  equal  to  li  times  the  width  of  the 
outline.     The  bevel  at  the  top  of  stroke  being  on  an  angle 
of  40°,  and  the  shade  on  an  angle  of  45°,  a  slight  narrow 
shade  only  should  be  shown  at  the  bevel.     Be    careful   to 
always  maintain  the  45°  angle  in  shading,  as  well  as  to  give 
the  shade,  and  the  space  between  the  shade  and  the  letter,  a 
uniform  width. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  27 


LOWER    CASE 

62.  Spacing  the  Lower-Case  Letters.  —  The  rectangle 
enclosing  the  lower-case  letters  is  also  9  inches  by  15  inches. 
The  long  strokes  of  the  letters  p,  q,  and  y  rest  on  the  line  of 
this  rectangle;  i  inch  above  this  draw  the  base  line  for  the 
last  line  of  letters.     The  lower-case  letters  are  1  inch  high, 
and  the  space  between  the  lines  of  letters  is  2  inches.     The 
panel  enclosing  the  letter  5  is  1  inch  from  the  rectangle  line 
and  f  inch  from  top  line  of  letters.     It  is  2i  inches  wide 
between  the  inner  vertical  lines,  and  about  f  inch  above  and 
below   the    letter.     The  width   of    the    panel  enclosing  the 
letter  M  is  2i  inches,  and  the  height  should  correspond  with 
that  of  the   letter  5".     The   width   of  the  letters  is  1  inch. 
The  width  of  the  stroke  is  one-fifth  the  height  of  the  letters. 
Use  compasses  to  divide  the  height  into  five  equal  parts. 

63.  Tlie  Brush  Work.  -Use  the  brush  that  has  thus  far 
been  used  for  outlining  to  make  these  solid  letters.     First 
outline  the  letter,  being  careful  to  make  the  outside  edge  of 
the  stroke  straight,  after  which  the  letter  may  be  filled  in 
with  the  same,  or  a  larger,  brush.     Points  to  be  observed 
in  the  details  of  these  letters  are:     Make  corners  sharp.     Do 
not   exaggerate    the    size   of    spurs    where    these    occur  on 
corners  of    strokes.      Where  horizontal  strokes  are  cut  off 
on  a  bevel  with  the  point  touching  the  vertical  stroke,  be 
careful  that  the  extreme  point  only  is  made  to  touch.     All 
bevels  should  be  maintained  on  a  uniform  angle  of  about 
45°.     In  outlining  panels  for  the  capitals  5  and  M,  make  the 
outline  precisely  like  the  copy,  as  this  conforms  in  a  general 
way  to  the  outline  of  the  letter. 

64.  Hints    on    Coloring. —In    the    practical    example 
given  on  this  plate,  not  only  is  a  line  of  capitals  and  lower 
case   from    this   style   of   letter  employed,   but    the   subject 
of  illuminating  and   paneling  capitals    is    also    shown.     To 
accomplish  this  with  the  least  amount  of  work  and  produce 
a  most  pleasing  combination  of  colors,  proceed  in  the  follow- 
ing manner:     First  rub  up  a  tint  of  orange  chrome  yellow, 


28  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

and  fill  in  the  first  panel,  leaving  the  letter  .S*  open.  Use 
crimson  lake  cautiously  in  the  same  manner,  filling  in  the 
panel  containing  the  letter  M.  Fill  in  the  letter  5  with  a 
medium  shade  of  crimson  lake,  and  the  M  with  a  medium 
shade  of  new  green.  The  lower  half  of  the  letter  M  should 
be  filled  in  with  a  dark  shade  of  green  darkened  with  blue, 
cutting  across  the  stroke  in  a  diagonal  line.  In  the  same 
manner  a  darker  shade  of  crimson  lake  should  be  applied  to 
the  lower  half  of  the  letter  5".  To  shade  the  letters  5*  and  M, 
add  a  small  amount  of  crimson  lake  to  the  yellow  first  used, 
which  will  give  a  natural  shade  for  the  letter  .S*.  This  shade 
should  be  about  three-fourths  the  width  of  the  stroke  in  width, 
leaving  a  space  one-fourth  stroke  between  the  letter  and  the 
shade.  In  like  manner  shade  the  letter  Af,  using  a  darker 
tint  of  crimson  lake.  Now  shade  the  lower-case  letters  in 
the  same  manner,  using  charcoal  gray  for  this  purpose.  The 
panels  should  be  shaded  with  a  cast  shadow,  which  is  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  19,  Show-Card  Writing.  In  this  case  the  panel 
should  be  duplicated  in  the  shade  about  i  inch  wide,  and  this, 
as  well  as  all  other  shading,  should  be  maintained  at  an 
angle  of  45°.  The  panel  should  also  be  shaded  with  char- 
coal gray. 

PLATE,   TITLE:    HALF    SCRIPT 

65.  Practical  Application. —There  is  no  style  of 
letter  that  will  take  the  place  of  Half  Script  for  certain 
uses  in  card  writing.  It  is,  therefore,  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant alphabets  taught  in  this  Course.  It  is  quickly  made 
and  graceful  in  appearance,  which  alone  would  recommend 
it  and  give  it  a  foremost  place  in  the  list  of  show-card 
writers'  alphabets.  This  letter  calls  for  the  display  of  the 
writer's  ability  in  making  freehand  curves.  It  is  known 
as  Half  Script  among  card  writers,  because  of  the  resem- 
blance of  the  capitals  to  Italic  Roman  and  the  lower  case  to 
Spencerian  Script. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  29 

CAPITALS 

66.  Spacing    the    Lines    for    Capitals. —After    con- 
structing the  rectangle  of   usual   size,  draw  the  lines  that 
give   the  height  of  the  letters   li  inches  apart,  leaving    a 
space  between  these  of  I  inch.     The  letters  of  this  alphabet 
incline  at  an  angle  of  about  22^°,  or  one-fourth  of  a  quad- 
rant.    The  width  of  the  vertical  stroke  is  fV  inch,  while  the 
rounded  or  crescent  strokes  are  *  inch.     Allow  li  inches  on 
either  end  of  the  last  line  of  letters,  and  fill  in  the  space 
between  the  alphabet  and  the  character  with  a  cyma. 

67.  The  Brush  Work.— Study  carefully  the  details  of 
each   letter   before   beginning  on    the   brush   work.      It   is 
important  that  all  rounded  letters,  as  well  as  all  straight- 
line  letters,  be  inclined  at  a  uniform  angle,  or  the  appearance 
of  the  work  will  be  greatly  marred.     The  use  of  the  cyma 
in  such  letters  as  A,  E,  F,  and  H  is  not  arbitrary  in  this 
style  of  letter.     A  straight  line  may  be  used  in  its   place, 
with  a  spur  attached  to  this  in  the  E  and  /%  such  as  is  used 
in  the  Roman  alphabet.     The  spur  on  these  letters  is  much 
smaller  than  those  of  the  Roman,  and  in  many  cases   the 
letter  is  carried  above  or  below  the  line.     In  the  eccentric 
form  of  the  letter  T,  the  cross-stroke  is  carried  to  the  right, 
sometimes  covering  several  letters. 


LOWER  CASE 

68.     Spacing  the  Lines  for  Lower-Case  Letters.  —A 

rectangle  9  inches  by  15  inches  also  encloses  the  lower-case 
letters;  f  inch  above  the  base  line  of  the  rectangle,  draw  a 
line  that  is  the  bottom  line  for  the  letters.  The  letters  are 
I  inch  high.  The  space  between  the  last  line  of  letters  and 
the  numerals  is  2  inches.  The  numerals  are  li  inches  high, 
and  the  space  between  the  numerals  and  top  line  of  letters 
is  l£  inches.  The  long-stroke  letters  project  f  inch  above 
the  line,  while  those  of  the  /  and  g  project  below  the  line 
somewhat  further.  The  stroke  of  the  lower-case  letters 
is  -rV  inch  wide;  that  of  the  numerals  is  f  inch.  The  letters 


30  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

should  incline  at  the  same  angle  as  the  capitals.  The 
numerals,  however,  are  more  symmetrical,  and  are  easily 
made  on  an  incline  of  about  20°.  In  connection  with  the 
capitals  and  lower  case,  the  numerals  appear  to  be  on  the 
same  incline.  The  cipher  of  the  numerals  is  not  given,  for 
the  reason  that  it  is  always  identical  with  the  letter  O  of  the 
corresponding-  alphabet.  In  spacing  the  letters  of  this  alpha- 
bet, do  not  leave  a  space  between  letters  that  will  not  permit 
of  being  joined  with  a  fine  line  at  an  angle  of  45°. 

69.  The  Brush  Work. —The  outlining  brush  may  be 
used  for  these  letters,  although  the  fine  line  should  be  made 
much  lighter  than  lines  that  the  student  has  been  accustomed 
to  in  drawing  previous  plates.  The  stroke  of  the  lower 
case  should  be  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  9,  beginning  at  the 


FIG.  9  FIG.  10  FIG.  11 

top  of  the  left-hand  outline,  and  continuing  to  the  termination 
of  the  line.  The  right-hand  outline  begins  with  the  fine 
line  at  the  top  and  terminates  at  the  fine  line  of  stroke  1. 
Thus,  all  strokes  are  made  with  two  strokes  of  the  brush. 
Study  the  details  of  each  letter  carefully  and  endeavor  to 
give  to  the  curves  of  strokes  as  well  as  fine  lines  a  graceful 
touch  and  symmetrical  finish.  Avoid  the  common  error  that 
is  made  by  many  letterers  when  making  this  style  of  letter. 
This  occurs  in  the  curved  stroke  where  joined  to  the  fine  line. 
Fig.  10  shows  the  improper  way  of  forming  the  stroke,  and 
Fig.  11  the  proper  way.  By  thus  comparing  them  it  may  be 
readily  seen  that  to  curve  the  outline  at  this  point  destroys 
the  artistic  appearance  of  the  stroke. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  31 

PLATE,   TITLE:     SCRIPT 

70.  Practical  Application. —Without  a  knowledge  o£ 
the  Script  alphabet,  the  show-card  writer's  education  would 
be  incomplete.     It  is  true  that  Script  letters  are  the  most 
difficult  to  accomplish;  the  alphabet  has  therefore  been  given 
the  last  place.     It  is  likewise  true  that  the  formation  of  the 
letters  may  be  easily  learned,  and  with  much  practice  they 
may  be  most  gracefully  executed  and  also  made  with  great 
rapidity.  

CAPITALS 

71.  Spacing  the  Lines   for  Capital  Letters. —Con- 
struct a  rectangle  9  inches  by  12  inches,  leaving  an  equal 
margin  at  the  top  and  bottom.     Beginning  from  the  base  of 
the  rectangle,  draw  five  lines,  making  3  spaces  for  the  letters, 
2  inches  high,  with  a  space  between  the  lines  of  letters  of 
1  inch.    There  are  but  twenty-one  letters  on  this  plate,  seven 
letters   on  each  line,   thus   giving    abundant    space  for  the 
extensive  sweep  of  the  fine  lines  that  characterize  this  style 
of  letter. 

72.  Spacing  the  Letters. —The  width  of  the  shaded 
stroke   at   its   maximum  should  be  -&•  inch.     The  fine  line 
should  be  made  extremely  light,  for  this  gives  added  grace 
to  this  form  of  letter.     Script  letters  should  always  incline 
at  a  uniform  angle  of  40°.     Draw  the  letters,  after  locating 
them  in  their  proper  place,  with  a  needle-pointed,  hard-lead 
pencil.    Be  careful  to  make  all  details  correspond  with  those 
of  the  letters  in  the  copy. 

73.  The  Brush  Work. —Having  drawn  the  letters  with 
accuracy,  proceed  with  the  brush  work  by  first  making  the 
principal   stroke   of  the   letter,  which  in   many  cases  is  the 
stem  or  the  ogee  stroke,  as  in  the  letter  B.     The  shading  of 
this   stroke   should  be   below  the  center  of  the  letter.     To 
incline    this    stroke    at  the    proper  angle,   the    ogee   stroke 
should   be   an   equal  distance  from  the   40°  line  above  and 
below  the  center  of  the  letter— to  the  left  of  the  line  above 


32  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

and  to  the  right  below,  as  shown  in  Fig.  12.  The  crescent 
strokes  are  given  the  proper  incline  by  making  the  maximum 
distance  from  the  40°  line  at  the  center  of  the  stroke  and 
crossing  the  line  at  equal  distances  above  and  below  the 
center,  as  seen  in  Fig.  13.  It  is  essential  in  script  writing 
that  the  use  of  too  many  fine  lines  be  avoided.  The  best 
script  writers  employ  very  few  fine  lines.  In  joining  the 


FIG.  13 


fine  line  to  the  stroke,  always  merge  this  into  the  stroke  so 
as  to  join  the  outline  and  form  a  symmetrical  and  continuous 
line,  if  the  stroke  were  outlined  instead  of  being  filled  in. 
Endeavor  as  nearly  as  possible  to  give  to  all  letters  a  uni- 
form width,  making  the  usual  exceptions  with  the  M  and  IV. 


LOWER    CASE 

74.  Spacing  Lower-Case  Letters.— The  base  line  for 
the  numerals  is  the  bottom  line  of  the  9"  X  15"  rectangle 
enclosing  the  lettering  of  the  plate.  The  numerals  are 
2  inches  high;  4i  inches  above  the  numerals  draw  the  base 
line  for  the  remaining  capitals,  which  are  also  2  inches  high. 
The  lines  that  limit  the  height  of  the  first  six  letters  of  the 
lower  case  are  4f  inches  and  5f  inches  from  the  base  of  the 
rectangle.  The  lines  for  the  four  final  letters  of  the  lower 
case  are  2*  inches  and  3f  inches  from  the  lower  line  of  the 
rectangle.  In  order  that  the  ogee  line  of  letters  may  be 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  33 

properly  located,  it  is  necessary  for  four  vertical  lines  to  be 
drawn  on  the  plate,  making  5  spaces  3  inches  wide.  Draw 
lines  on  the  copy,  also,  2i  inches  apart.  These  lines  will  be 
of  assistance  in  spacing  the  letters.  Beginning  with  the 
left-hand  vertical  line  of  the  rectangle,  place  two  points 
3i  inches  and  4i  inches  from  the  base  line  of  the  rectangle. 
On  line  2  the  two  points  are  2li  inches  and  3i  inches;  on 
line  3,  3iV  inches  and  3|  inches;  on  line  4,  3f  inches  and 
4f  inches;  on  line  5,  4T«  inches  and  5A  inches;  on  the  right- 
hand  vertical  line  of  the  rectangle,  3f  inches  and  4f  inches. 
From  the  points  given  construct  a  graceful  ogee  curve.  The 
length  of  the  long-stroke  letters  may  be  approximated  by 
observing  their  position  relative  to  the  strokes  of  other 
letters  above  or  below  them.  To  locate  the  letters  on  the 
ogee  curve,  draw  those  first  that  touch  the  four  vertical  lines. 
It  will  then  be  an  easy  matter  to  draw  the  remaining  letters 
and  give  the  proper  space  between  them.  The  width  of 
the  stroke  of  the  lower-case  letters  is  somewhat  narrower 
than  the  capitals,  or  TZ  inch. 


PLATE,   TITLE:    OPAQUE   WATER-COLOR  WORK 

75.  Practical  Application. —  In  order  that  the  student 
may   understand    the    difference   between    transparent    and 
opaque  lettering,  it  may  be  well  to  say  that  if  transparent 
colors  were  used  on  a  black-card  surface  they  would  not  be 
seen;  the  card  would  absorb  the  color,  and  no  trace  of  it, 
except  perhaps  a  slight  discoloration  on  the  surface  of  the 
card,  would  remain.     Opaque  color,  if  used  on  white,  would 
be  liable  to  appear  streaked,  or  uneven.     Even  though  they 
possessed  the  same  advantages  in  regard  to  their  covering 
quality,  the  transparent  colors  are  more  convenient  and  are 
always  used  in  preference  to  opaque  on  white  cards.     The 
latter  are  used  on  black  and  all  dark-colored  cards. 

76.  Spacing    the    Lines. —Construct    a   rectangle    15 
inches  by  9  inches,  making  the  faintest  line  possible  for  this, 
as  well  as  all  pencil  marks  on  this  plate.     No  attempt  should 
be  made  to  erase  or  remove  them  when  work  is  completed, 


34  LETTER  FORMATION  §4 

or  a  marred  or  ruined  plate  will  be  the  result.  It  is  pref- 
erable, therefore,  that  the  guide  lines  be  made  with  chalk, 
which  may  be  easily  removed.  To  do  this,  charge  a  piece 
of  thread  by  drawing  it  over  white  chalk;  hold  one  end 
with  the  second  finger  of  the  left  hand  and  the  other  end 
with  the  thumb  of  the  right;  then,  with  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finger of  the  left  hand,  the  thread  may  be  snapped  on  the  card, 
leaving  a  line  suitable  for  measurements,  and  one  that  can  be 
dusted  off  readily  when  letters  are  drawn  in  lead  pencil. 

Divide  the  length  of  the  rectangle  into  5  spaces  3  inches 
wide,  and  the  copy  into  5  spaces  2i  inches  wide.  On  the 
first  vertical  line,  place  two  points  5^  inches  and  7A  inches 
from  the  base  of  the  rectangle;  on  the  second  vertical  line, 
5|  inches  and  7f  inches;  on  the  third  line,  6i  inches  and 
8f  inches;  and  on  the  fourth  line,  6-nr  inches  and  ST&  inches. 
By  the  aid  of  the  eight  points  given,  the  ogee  curve  may  be 
drawn  on  which  the  word  champion  is  placed.  The  other 
measurements  are  as  follows:  The  word  the  is  drawn  on 
lines  8i  inches,  82"  inches,  and  8|~  inches  from  the  bottom  line. 
The  word  celebrated  is  41  inches  from  bottom  line,  and  -\*  inch 
high.  The  letter  B  and  character  &  are  tV  inch  from  the 
bottom  line,  and  are  3|  inches  high.  The  lines  that  limit  the 
height  of  the  letter  5  are  i  inch  and  3A  inches.  The  lines  of 
the  ribbon  containing  the  words  trade  mark  are  lf«  inches 
and  2i\  inches.  The  remainder  of  the  work  may  be  located 
approximately,  using  the  letters,  words,  and  vertical  lines  as 
guides  in  placing  all  lines  in  their  proper  position. 

77.  Spacing  the   Letters.  —  The  letters  on  the  ogee 
curve  are  on  an  angle  of  22i°,  or  one-fourth  of  a  quadrant. 
The  stroke  is  ~h  inch  wide.     The  stroke  of  the  letter  in  the 
word  celebrated  is  A  inch  wide.    The  space  between  this  word 
and  the  vertical  line  of  the  rectangle  is  3|  inches.    The  panel 
surrounding  the  letter  5  is  6  inches  from  right-hand  vertical 
line   and  5|  inches   from   the  left,   measuring  at   the  point 
where  the  ribbon  crosses  the  panel. 

78.  The  Brush  Work.— Use  show-card  white  for  letter- 
ing.    This  should  always  be  well  shaken  before  it  is  used. 


§4  LETTER  FORMATION  35 

Use  the  No.  5  red-sable  brush.  Letter  the  words  the,  cham- 
pion, celebrated,  and  the  letters  B.  &  Co.;  also,  outline  the 
ribbon,  but  leave  the  words  trade  mark  until  later.  If  the 
white  for  any  reason  does  not  cover  well,  run  over  the 
letters  a  second  time. 

Pour  a  small  amount  of  the  white  into  one  of  the  water-color 
pans.  Rub  up  a  small  amount  of  deep  chrome  yellow;  also,  a 
small  amount  of  orange  and  vermilion,  using  a  short  stocky 
brush  for  this;  and,  allowing  the  color  to  drop  into  the  white, 
stir  well  and  apply  the  shade  to  the  lower  half  of  the  first 
line  of  letters.  Make  a  gold  color  by  adding,  to  the  white, 
orange-chrome  yellow  and  ocher  in  the  same  manner.  With 
this  color  make  the  ornamental  panel;  also,  fill  in  the  letters 
B.  &  Co.,  leaving  a  uniform  white  outline.  The  dark  color 
at  the  bottom  of  these  letters,  also  the  ornament  within  the 
letter  B,  is  made  by  adding  sepia  and  burnt  sienna.  Outline 
the  letter  5*  with  orange  chrome  and  vermilion;  also,  use  this 
for  the  stripe  underneath  the  word  celebrated.  Fill  in  the  let- 
ter 5"  with  pink  made  of  white,  with  a  little  orange  and  ver- 
milion added.  A  small  quantity  of  white,  thinned  almost  to 
the  consistency  of  a  transparent  color,  is  used  to  cover  the 
ribbon.  Flow  this  on  and  blend  it  off  into  the  black  as  it 
approaches  the  letter  5.  Afterwards  the  words  trade  mark 
may  be  lettered  on  the  ribbon.  Use  mauve  purple  and  white 
for  the  ornament  above  and  below  the  word  champion.  Use 
clear  white  in  highlighting  the  ornament. 


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INDEX 


All  items  in  this  index  refer  first  to  the  section  number,— which  is  printed  on  the  inside 
edges  of  the  headlines  and  is  preceded  by  the  printers'  section  mark  g,— and  then  to  the 
page  number.  Thus,  Applied  design  3  2,  means  find  the  paper  having  g  3  on  the  head- 
lines and  then  find  page  2. 


Acorn  leaves 

Advantages  of  color  work   ....       4 
Air  pencil 1 


Sec.  Page 
3         9 
18 


Sec.  Page 


Alphabets,  Freehand 4 

Selection  of 2 

Supplementary  ....       2 

Antique  Egyptian  (light) 2 

Apostrophy 1 

Application  and  methods 1 

of  design  to  show-card 

writing 2 

Reward  of 1 

Applied  design 3 

Appropriate  ornamenting    ....       3 

Arc,  Circular 2 

Arrangement  and  classification  of 
the  Course   .... 

Display 

Freehand    

Straight-line  .... 
Automatic  shading  pen 


Background 


1 

stencils 1 

Banners,  Combination  metal  and 

card 

Store  

Wall 

Beveled  cards 

shading 

Beveling 

Fancy  

Plain 

Black   

letters    

Preparation  of 

Blending 

around  designs 


19 


Block  

letters.  Modifications  of  . 

shade  

Board,  Photo-mounting  .... 

Border  effects 

Borders,  Ribbon 

Brights 

Broad  striping 

Brocade  

Bronzes  

Brush,  Methods  of  handling  the 
work  . 


Brushes  

Camel's-hair  .  .    . 

Care  of 

Red-sable    .   .   .   . 

Wash 

Bulb,  Decorator's  relief    . 


Camel's-hair  brushes 

Canthus,  Inner 

Outer 

Capitals,  Condensed  Egyptian  .    . 

Illuminated 

History  and 

general  use 

of     .... 

in  card  work 

Index  

Paneled 

Card  electric  signs 

hangers  

stenciling 

"     writer,    Chief    qualifications 

for  becoming  a    . 

How  to  become  an 

expert 


19 
57 
24 
18 
52 
19 
14 
42 
55 
55 
40 
40 
2 

14 
15 
3 
14 
17 
56 


IX 


INDEX 


Card  writers,  Cardboard  used  by 
colors    
white     
"     blank    .... 
Cardboard  used  by  card  writers  . 

Sec. 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

Page 
17 
9 
10 
17 
17 

Colors,  water,  Use  of     
Combination  metal  and  card  ban- 
ners      
panels    
Comma  

Sec. 

1 

1 

1 

Page 

72 
6 

74 

Cards  Beveled 

1 

18 

Common  error 

? 

16 

Colored  
Fancy-edge  .   
Mounting  heavy    
Panel   
Care  of  brushes   
Cast  shadow  

1 
3 
1 
3 
4 
1 

18 
17 
66 

17 
3 
25 

Component  parts  of  a  letter    .   .   . 
Composition  of  a  design   
Compound  relief    
Condensed  Egyptian,  Brush  work 
with  .   .    . 
capitals   .    . 

1 
3 

1 

4 
4 

19 
9 

56 

5 
4 

Center  of  circle 

? 

3 

Details  of 

Centerpiece  ornament  
Circle  
Center  of  
Circumference  of    
Diameter  of  
Radius  of    
Circles    

3 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
1 

13 
3 
3 
3 

4 
3 
64 

letters   in 
Details  of 
letters  in 
Lower  case 
and  numer- 
als in    .   . 
Spacing  let- 

4 
4 

4 

5 

7 

6 

Circular  arc 

9 

2 

ters  in 

4 

4 

Circumference  of  circle  
Cold  colors 

2 
1 

3 

8 

Spacing 
lines    for 

Colon 

1 

78 

capital  let- 

Color, Flesh     
work.  Advantages  of  ... 
Designing  letters  for 
Spacing  letters  for  . 
Colored  cards  
"       letters 

1 
4 
4 
4 
1 
1 

9 
18 
19 
19 
18 
H 

ters  in  .    . 
Condensing  
Cone,  Pine     
Construction  of  indexes     
Contrast     
Cornea 

4 
1 
3 

1 

9 

4 
20 
10 
23 
8 
25 

Coloring  the  eye      

? 

26 

Corner  ornament  

R 

1? 

'    plate    
Colors     
"       Card-writers' 

4 
1 
1 

19 
5 
9 

Course,  Arrangement  and  classi- 
fication of     
Purpose  of 

1 
1 

3 

1 

"       Classification  of  
Cold 

1 
1 

5 

8 

Curved  lines.  Freehand  
Curves  and  lines 

2 
? 

15 
2 

Dry 

1 

49 

Elementary 

1 

47 

"     Use  of 

1 

49 

Cut-in  letters,  Uses  of 

1 

28 

Gold 

1 

9 

"    out  designs  

3 

7 

Handling  of  
Neutral       
oil.  List  of  
Primary  
Principal  necessary  .... 
Secondary     
Semineutral  
Shading  
Spectrum   

1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

8 
6 
13 
5 
10 
5 
6 
9 

Cutting  in  letters    
letter  stencils  
Cycas  palm  branch  
Cyma  

1) 

Dash    
Decorators'  relief  bulb   

1 
1 
3 

1 

1 

28 
68 
12 
20 

80 
56 

Tertiary  
"       Warm  
"       Water  
List  of  
Necessary  
Outlining  for  .... 
Preparation  of  ... 
Shading  with     .   .   . 

6 
8 
12 
12 
13 
53 
12 
66 

Design,  Applied  
Elements  of    
Designing,  Illustrative   
Inscription    
Practical    
Designs,  Composition  of  
Cut-out   
Elliptical    

3 
2 

3 
2 
2 

3 
3 
3 

2 
2 
2 
12 
12 
9 
7 
11 

INDEX 


XI 


Designs   Figure 

Sec.  j 

1 

°age 
5 

F                       J 
Face 

>«:.  A 
1 

°a&e 
19 

Novelties  in  show-card  . 

3 

20 

Fancy  beveling  

1 

64 

Permanent 

3 

o 

edge  cards 

3 

17 

Trade-mark     
Various  

3 
3 

2 
14 

Figure  designs   
Figures  in  relief  

3 
3 

5 
6 

Diameter  of  circle    
Display  arrangement 

2 
? 

4 
12 

Simple  
Fine  line 

2 

1 

2 
19 

Ditto  marks  
Diverse  treatment  of  words  .... 
Dry  colors     
"     Use  of 

1 
2 

1 
1 

81 
17 
49 
49 

Flesh  color  
Flitters    
Flowers  
Forms  Ornamental 

1 
1 
3 
1 

9 
55 
9 
30 

Freehand  alphabets     

4 

1 

E 

Eccentric  Egyptian,  Brush  work  in 
Practical  ap- 
plication   of 
Spacing    the 
letters  for  . 
Spacing    the 
lines  for  .   . 
•V  •              "          Uniformity  of 
letters  in     . 
letters,  Limits  of  .   .   .   . 
Roman,  Brush  work  in 
Practical  appli- 
cation of  .   . 
Spacing  the  let- 
ters for  .   .    . 

4 
4 
4 
4 

4 
1 
4 

4 
4 

11 
10 
10 
10 

11 
57 
22 

21 
21 

arrangement  
curved  line  
French  Roman,  Brush  work  in  cap- 
ital letters  in  .    . 
Brush  work    in 
lower-case     let- 
ters in  
capital  letters  .   . 
Details  of  capital 
letters  .in  .... 
Details   of    lower- 
case letters  in   . 
(light)  letters    .    . 
Lower-case  let- 
ters in  
Practical    applica- 
tion of  .   .   .   .   . 

2 
2 

4 

4 
4 

4 

4 
2 

4 
4 

15 
15 

13 

15 

12 

13 

14 

22 

14 

1? 

Spacing    the 
lines  for    .    . 
Egyptian  letters,  Modifications  of 
Elementary  curves 

4 
1 
1 

21 
58 
47 

Spacing    capital 
letters  in  .... 
Spacing  lines   for 
capitals  in  ... 

4 

4 

12 
1? 

lines   
Elements  of  design  
"  lettering  
Ellipse     

1 
2 
1 

9. 

46 
2 
19 
4 

Spacing  lines    for 
lower-case  let- 
ters in    
Width    of    capital 

4 

14 

Methods  of  describing 
Ellipses 

2 
1 

4 
64 

letters  in  .... 
Full  block  letters  

4 

? 

12 
19 

Elliptical  designs  
Elongating    
Embossed  letters  

3 
1 

1 

14 
20 
56 

G 

Gold  color    

1 

9 

Emphatic  words    
Engrossing 

2 
? 

16 
21 

Gothic  letters  
Grotesque  letters     

2 
1 

23 
31 

Error,  A  common     
Examples,  Value  of  
Exclamation  point    

2 
3 
1 

16 
1 
80 

H 

Half  block  letters  

2 

19 

Exercise  I  

1 

40 

script,  Brush  work  in  capitals 

II 

1 

41 

in   .   . 

4 

29 

III  
IV  
Extended  letters 

1 
1 
1 

42 
43 
60 

"  lower- 
case 
letters 

Eye   
'    Coloring  the  
"    Drawing  the  
Eyelets    

2 

2 
1 

24 

26 
24 
77 

in   .   . 
capitals     
Practical     application 
of     

4 
4 

4 

30 
29 

28 

Xll 


INDEX 


Half  script.  Spacing  lines  for  cap- 
itals in  

Sec. 
4 

Page 
29 

Letters.  Antique  Egyptian  (light)  . 
Black 

Sec. 
2 
1 

Page 
20 
54 

Spacing   lines    for 
lower-case  letters  in 
Hands,  Position  of,  when  striping 
Harmony  and  contrast  
Heavy  Egyptian,  Brush  work  in  . 
Coloring  letters 

4 
1 
1 

4 

29 
40 
8 
9 

Classification  of  
Colored     
Condensing     
Cutting  in    
Elongating  
Embossed  .       .   . 

1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

29 
55 
36 
28 
37 
56 

in    
Practical    appli- 
cation of  ... 
Spacing  the  let- 
ters for  .   .   . 
Spacing     the 

4 
4 
4 

9 
8 
8 

Exaggerated  examples  of 
elongating    
Examples  of  condensed  . 
Extended  
French  Roman  (light)  .   . 
Full  block  

1 
1 
1 

o 
•> 

37 
36 
60 
22 
19 

lines  for  .  .   . 

4 

8 

"        Gothic    

9 

23 

highlight       

1 

27 

Grotesque 

1 

31 

Heraldic  shield  
Highlight   

1 
1 

36 

28 

Half  block  
Imitation  relief  

2 
3 

19 
16 

Heavy   
History  of  illuminated  capitals  . 
Holly    

1 
1 
3 

27 
32 
10 

Interlacing  
Limits  of  eccentric  .   .   . 
Modifications  of 

1 
1 
1 

39 

57 
57 

Hyphen 

1 

81 

"  block 

1 

57 

I 
Illuminated  capitals 

1 

32 

Egyptian 
Old  English   
Ornamental 

1 
9 
1 

58 
20 
29 

History   and 
general   use 
of 

1 

32 

Relief  
ornament    
Rustic 

1 
1 
1 

62 
30 
31 

in  card  work  . 

Illumination  of  show-cards 

1 
1 

34 

52 

Shippers'  box  marking    . 
Spacing  of 

2 
1 

22 
20 

Illustrative  designing1 

3 

3 

the 

4 

2 

Imitation  relief  letters 

3 

16 

Telescoping 

1 

39 

Index  capitals    
Indexes  
Construction  of   
Inner  canthus  

1 
2 
2 
? 

35 
23 
23 
25 

that  may  be  modified  .   . 
Treatment  of    
Uses  of  cut-in  
White     

1 
1 
1 
1 

58 
36 
28 
54 

Inscription,  Arrangement  of  an   . 
designing     
Location  of  
Inscriptions  for  show-cards   .   .   . 
Interior  signs 

2 
2 
2 
3 
1 

12 
12 
16 
23 
71 

Light,  Reflected    
Lighting  and  shading,  Effects  pro- 
duced by 
Importance 
of 

2 
1 
1 

11 
26 
26 

Interlacing  letters 

1 

39 

Letter-face 

1 

26 

Interrogation  point  
Iris    
Isinglass    

L 

Leaves.  Acorn  and  oak  
Letter,  Component  parts  of  a  .   . 
face  lighting  and  shading 
formation  
Lettering   
•Elements  of  
Position  of  hands  when 
Speed  in  
Letters    . 

1 
2 
1 

3 

80 
25 
55 

9 
19 
26 
1 
43 
19 
43 
48 
54 

Limits  of  eccentric  letters   .... 
Line,  Fine  
Lines  and  curves  
Elementary     
Freehand  curve    
Spacing  the    
Location  of  inscription  

M 

Manifolding  
Manila  pattern  paper  
Materials   
for  steni-ils  
"           necessary    . 

1 
1 
2 

1 
2 
4 
2 

1 
1 
1 
1 

1 

57 
19 
2 

46 
15 
9 
16 

66 
18 
17 
68 
3 

INDEX 


Xlll 


Mechanical  devices  in  window  let- 
tering   

Metallics 

Methods  and  application 

Modifications  of  block  letters  .   . 
"   Egyptian  letters 

"  letters    

Mounted  panels 

Mounting 

heavy  cards 

Purposes  and   methods 
of 

N 

Neutral  colors 

Novel  designs  in  price  tickets   .   . 
Novelties  in  show-card  designs    . 


Oak  leaves 

Ogee-curve  stroke,  Brush  work  in 
capital  let- 
ters of  ... 
Brush  work  in 
lower-case 
letters  of.  . 
lower-case  let- 
ters   

Practical  appli- 
cation of  .   . 
Spacing  lines 
for  capital 
letters  of  .   . 
Spacing  lower- 
case  letters 

of 

Oil  colors.  List  of 

Old  English  letters 

Opaque  water-color  work.  Brush 

work  in 

water-color  work,  Practi- 
cal application  of  ... 
water-color    work,    Spa- 
cing letters  for  .... 
water-color    work.    Spa- 
cing lines  for 

Origin  of  .the  possessive  sign  .   . 
Ornament  . 


Sec.  Page 


Centerpiece 

Corner 

Ornamental    forms 

letters     

Ornamenting,  Appropriate  .... 
Ornaments,   Various    styles    and 
application    of    . 


Sec.  Page 

Outer  canthus 2       25 

Outline 1        19 

Outlining  for  water  colors  ....       1       53 
Outside  signs  ...  1       73 


1  6 
3  21 
3  20 


4  23 

4  25 

4  24 

4  22 

4  23 


4  24 

1  13 

2  20 

4  34 

4  33 


Palm 3 

branch  3 

Cycas 3 

Panel  cards 3 

ends 2 

Paneled  capitals l 

Panels     2 

Combination 2 

Mounted 3 

Part 

Relief-scroll 

Rococo 

Use  of,  in  designing  .... 

Paper.  Manila  pattern 

Parenthesis 

Part  panels 

Pen,  Automatic  shading 

Pencil,  Air 

Period 

Permanent  designs 

Photo  mounting 

board 

Pictorial   show-cards 

Pigments 

Pine  cone 

Plain  beveling 

Plate,  Coloring  the 

Dimensions  of 

Title:  Brush-stroke  letters  . 

Condensed    Egyptian 

Eccentric   Egyptian  . 

Roman     . 

Elementary  curves  . 

lines  .   . 

French   Roman  .   .   . 

Half  script 

Heavy  Egyptian  .  . 
Ogee-curve  stroke  .  . 
Opaque  water-color 

work 

Roman 

Script 

Square  English  .  .  . 
Transparent  color 

work 

Position  of  hands  when  lettering  . 

striping  . 

Possessive  sign.  Origin  of  .... 

Practical  designing 

Price  tickets    .  3        21 


2 

8 

2 

9 

2 

9 

2 

6 

1 

18 

1 

81 

2 

8 

1 

56 

1 

56 

1 

78 

3 

2 

1 

66 

1 

18 

3 

15 

1 

7 

3 

10 

1 

63 

4 

19 

4 

1 

4 

1 

4 

2 

4 

10 

4 

21 

1 

47 

1 

46 

4 

12 

4 

28 

4 

8 

4 

22 

4 

33 

4 

15 

4 

31 

4 

25 

4 

18 

1 

43 

1 

40 

1 

77 

2 

12 

XIV 


INDEX 


Primary  colors 

Sec. 

Page 
5 

^ 
Secondary  colors  

xc.  * 
1 

Pa^ 

5 

Printing1 

66 

Selection  of  alphabets   

•> 

IK 

Punctuation 

77 

Semicircles  

? 

4 

Importance  of 

77 

Semicircumferences    

? 

f. 

78 

Semicolon 

1 

79 

Purpose  of  the  Course    

1 

1 

Semineutral  colors  
Sending  work  to  the  Schools  .   .   . 
Shade 

1 
4 

1 

6 
3 

19 

Block 

1 

24 

Quadrants     

Relief 

1 

25 

Qualifications     for    becoming     a 
card  writer  
Quotation  marks  

R 

Radius  of  circle  
Rectangle            

1 
1 

2 

? 

2 
81 

3 
6 

Shaders,  Square    
Shading  
and  lighting,  Effects  pro- 
duced   by 
Importance 
of    .... 

1 
1 

1 
1 

17 

23 

26 
26 

Red-sable  brushes    
Reflected  light   

1 
2 

14 
11 

Angle    to    be    executed 
upon  

1 

24 

Relief  bulb.  Decorator's    .       ... 

1 

56 

colors    

1 

9 

compound  

1 

56 

"      letters 

1 

62 

ornament  letters    
"      scroll  panels                      .   . 

1 
? 

30 
9 

on  the  left    
ribbons     

1 
2 

23 
10 

shade     
Ribbon  borders  
Ribbons  
Forms  of    
Shading       

1 
3 
2 
2 
? 

25 
19 
10 
10 
10 

with  water  colors    .... 
Shadow,  Cast  
Sheeting  signs     
Shield,  Heraldic    
Shippers'  box  marking  

1 
1 
1 
1 
2 

53 
25 
74 
36 
22 

Riggers  
Rococo  panels    
Roman,  Brush  work  in,  capital  let- 
ters 

1 
2 

4 

14 

9 

17 

Show-card  design  and  ornament  . 

"     designs,  Novelties  in  . 
"     Inscriptions  for  .... 

2 
3 
3 
3 

1 
1 
20 
23 

capital  letters  
Designing,  capital  letters 
lower-case  let- 
ters   .... 
lower-case  and  numerals 
Practical  application  of  . 
Spacing  lines  for,  capital 
letters    .... 
lower-case    let- 
ters   
Rustic  letters  

S 

Script,  Brush  work  in.  capital  let- 
ters 

4 
4 

4 
4 
4 

4 

4 
1 

16 

16 

18 
17 
15 

16 

17 
31 

31 

"     transparencies   .... 
"     writing    
Application  of 
design  to    . 
Forms  used  in 
cards,  Illumination  of    ... 
Pictorial  
Signs,  Card  electric  
Interior    
Outside    
Sheeting  
Store  and  window  
White  enameled-cloth  .   .   . 
Simple  figures     
Spacing,  Correct  and  incorrect  .   . 
Importance  of    

1 
1 

2 
8 
1 
8 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
1 
1 

74 
1 

1 
2 

52 
15 
75 
71 
73 
74 
71 
7:5 
2 
20 
20 

capitals  

31 

of  letters    

1 

20 

lower-case  letters    .... 
Practical  application  of  . 
Spacing  capital  letters  of  . 
lines    for    capital 
letters  of  .... 
lower-case  letters 
of    . 

4 
4 

32 
31 
31 

31 
32 

the  letters  
"    lines  
Spectrum  colors    
Speed  in  lettering  
Spur  
Square    English,   Brush    work    in 
capital  letters  of     

4 

4 
1 
1 

4 

3 
o 

48 
19 

26 

INDEX 

XV 

Sec.  Page 

Sec.  Page 

Square   English,   Brush    work    in 

Trade-mark  designs    

3 

2 

lower-case  let- 

Transparencies, Show-card    .   .   . 

1 

74 

ters  of  .... 

4 

27 

Window     .... 

1 

74 

capitals    .... 

4 

25 

Coloring:  capital 

U 

letters  of  ... 

4 

26 

Underscore  

1 

81 

Hints  on  color- 

Use of  dry  colors  

1 

49 

ing  plate  .   .   . 

4 

27 

"     "  stencils    

1 

67 

"         lower  case  .   .   . 

4 

27 

"  water  colors  

1 

52 

Practical    appli- 

cation of  ... 

4 

25 

V 

Spacing  capital 

Value  of  examples    

3 

1 

letters  of  ... 

4 

26 

Spacing  lines  for 

AY 

capital  letters 

Wall  banners 

1 

71 

of    

4 

25 

Wash  brushes     

1 

17 

Spacing  lower- 

Water colors    

1 

12 

case  letters  of 

4 

27 

List  of  

1 

12 

shaders   

1 

17 

necessary   

1 

13 

Stenciling,  Card     

1 

69 

Outlining  for  .... 

1 

53 

Stencils,  Background  

1 

69 

Preparation  of  ... 

1 

12 

Cutting  letter  

1 

68 

Shading  with  .... 

1 

53 

Materials  for 

1 

68 

Use  of  

1 

52 

Use  of 

1 

67 

White 

1 

6 

Store  and  window  signs    

1 

74 

blank,  Card-writers'     .   .   . 

1 

17 

banners     

1 

71 

Card-writers'    

1 

10 

Straight-line  arrangement    .... 

2 

12 

enameled-cloth  signs   .   .   . 

1 

73 

Striping  

1 

40 

letters   

1 

54 

Broad 

1 

42 

Preparation  of  

1 

10 

with  the  T  souare 

1 

41 

Width 

1 

19 

Stroke  

1 

19 

Window  and  store  signs    

1 

71 

Supplementary  alphabets    .... 

2 

19 

lettering.  Mechanical  de- 

vices in    

1 

76 

T 

transparencies    

1 

74 

T  square.  Striping  with  the  .... 

1 

41 

Words,  Diverse  treatment  of  ... 

2 

17 

Telescoping  letters  

1 

39 

Emphatic  

9 

16 

Tertiary  colors   

1 

6 

Work,  Brush    

4 

2 

Tickets.  Price  .   . 

3 

21 

"     How  to  send,  to  the  Schools 

4 

3 

4404 


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